


What Hangs in the Balance

by 20SomethingSuperHeroes



Series: The Arizona Avengers [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Crying, F/M, Fights, First Kiss, Hijacking, Hydra (Marvel), Lightsaber Battles, Lightsabers, Original Character Death(s), SHIELD, Sokovia Accords, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 19:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 59,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7400869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20SomethingSuperHeroes/pseuds/20SomethingSuperHeroes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the passing of the Sokovia Accords, the Avengers are no longer allowed to intervene in supernatural occurrences without permission. Phil Coulson, with his loyal assistants Hillary Tanner and Mitch Sorensen, is forced to take matters into his own hands as Hydra begins its Resurgence. Hillary can hardly endure watching from the sidelines as her superhero friends fight against each other, but a civil war is the least of her worries as circumstances spiral further and further out of control in Arizona...</p>
<p>Setting: Concurrent with the events of Captain America: Civil War</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. *Insert Calm Before the Storm Title Here*

She was in a firefight. It was while she was on assignment somewhere, but she couldn’t have told you where if you’d asked her. There were elements of the scene that she recalled from her recent trip to Borneo and from the battle last year in Scottsdale. Wherever she was, it was daytime, and low clouds and mist hung over everything, made thicker by the blasts of gunsmoke. The main feature visible was the muggy black pavement that she kept tripping over, along with some trash cans, dumpsters, and other landmarks of urban waste. All the other people in the scene wore dark clothing and she could not see their faces. She heard muffled yelling and grunting but no voices talking, no speech she could discern. There were flashes whenever a gun went off, sometimes bright like eerie lightning.

Hillary heard a terrible scream. It may have come from behind her: when she glanced back to look she saw a female shape that was standing behind her fall to the ground as she felt a bullet rush past. There was a crack and a man in front of her collapsed.

And then she saw him coming: the Winter Soldier, arrayed like death, dressed in black leather and carrying the most evil-looking assault rifle she had ever seen in her life--like one of the ones from the Hydra cache S.H.I.E.L.D. had found in Borneo. The metal arm gleamed dully in the fog. He was unmasked, his face unprotected--she almost feared that more than the bug-eyed goggles he wore sometimes.

“Bucky?” she said, wondering if he would respond to the name. 

He didn’t. He continued to walk towards her. He was preparing the firing mechanisms on the gun and getting ready to shoot her. She tried looking at his face, making eye contact. Somehow it misted out of focus and she could not look straight at it.

He was coming closer every second. His hand was on the trigger--he didn’t pull it. Why was he waiting?

“Bucky, it’s me!” Hillary whispered into the fog, her heart racing as she spoke, her breath coming faster. 

“It’s me, Hillary!” 

He showed no sign of having heard her. 

His face came into focus--it was not the face of the Bucky she knew. It was the face from the picture Hydra had shared with the government. It was the face of a dead man, the eyes focused and showing a quiet bloodlust, the mouth neutral. It was the face of Hydra’s brainwashed puppet, their precious asset.

Any second, she knew, he would pull the trigger and the bullets would rip her apart. That moment never came. He stopped, the barrel of the gun inches away from her. And he stared at her with those lifeless, cold eyes--he wanted to kill her. Why didn’t he?

She wanted to say something, wanted to do something that would get him to respond to her. But she opened her mouth and it was dry, the words wouldn’t come.

She swallowed. 

“Bucky, it’s me, Hillary!” she said. “Please, say something!”

The Winter Soldier dropped his big gun. He pulled out the knife from his belt and leaned backward, and then he threw out a punch with the metal fist. Hillary ducked it just in time. She felt the whoosh of air go over her head. She got back up and he pivoted to drive the knife into her chest--she sidestepped and grabbed his metal arm. She tried to twist it around--he spun her inward towards him. He pointed the knife at the side of her skull, the tip was a hair’s width away from her temple. She twisted one of her legs around his--it wasn’t enough to topple him but it unsteadied them both. He released her. He never made any noise, he never said a single word. She threw a fist out to punch him and he hooked his good arm around her right. She pulled away and kicked him in the shin, grunting with effort. Then she spun to punch him in the chest. He threw her a punch in the back but somehow she barely felt it. Their fight was a prolonged mix of wrestling and kicking and punching while standing, grabbing each other by the upper limbs occasionally. It was not unlike a few of the fights she’d gotten into in Borneo.

“Bucky, please,” she said, catching her breath in between his blows. “Why are you trying to hurt me?”

He threw out his good arm again, the little knife clenched in the fist. She caught his fist and tried to twist the knife out of it. 

“This isn’t you!” she said, and she punched him in the face. Caught off-guard, he stumbled back. Then he came forward with a vengeance. He kicked her, then grabbed her by the arm and then pulled her into a chokehold. The grip felt so real, so tight. Any moment her strength would give out. He would tighten his hold and cut off her air, then snap her neck--would it be painless, if she passed out first?

In a sudden burst of strength she pushed his arm away from her neck and leaped away from him. She punched his jaw and then kicked him in the hip. He fell over.

She leaned downward to grab his fallen weapon. Then she stood on top of him with her foot on his chest. She was pointing the barrel of the gun down at his face--she couldn’t see his eyes--

Maybe she’d gone back in time to before when Steve found him. If she shot the Winter Soldier, if she killed him now, she would spare Steve and herself and the rest of the world two years of agony--

\--She remembered him playing Uno with her family, her hand slapping his metal one lightly while they were playing Speed, the sound of his laughter--  
\--his life was not hers to take. Not anyone’s.

He leaped up and knocked her to the ground. He kicked her in the back, and she rolled over the concrete and got grit in her teeth. He picked up that assault rifle. When she leaned up to look at him, he was pointing it at her.

“Stop, Bucky! Please! It’s me!” 

He kicked her again and she heard herself screaming. He started shooting her at point blank.

And then she heard the sound of her own voice over the bullets as she rolled over in her own bed, tangled in the sheets.

 

Washington, D.C.

She woke up in her bedroom in her D.C. apartment, feeling dizzy and sweaty. She turned on the lamp on the nightstand to wake herself up. She had to know it wasn’t real. 

Dreams are like that, she told herself. They show us the fears we hardly dare to think about. Wherever he is, Bucky is fine.

She went to the bathroom and got a glass of water from the kitchen. Then she went back to bed. She was able to fall asleep again quickly without any nightmares.

The next morning, she went to work at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters, arriving on time and greeting everyone pleasantly. It started out as a pleasant, normal day. But around eleven, Hillary started receiving emails and social media alerts. The Avengers had blown up a building in Nigeria. The phones began ringing of the hook.

“Not again,” said Agent Peterson from across the room.

“Sometimes I wonder if Hydra likes to pick third-world population centers on purpose,” Agent Lyman mused. 

Hillary could feel a migraine coming on by early afternoon. The Avengers had been hunting down the remnants of Hydra and stopping potential super-criminals. But everywhere they went, the news reported death and destruction. Sometimes the media exaggerated, but this time it actually looked bad.

From footage that Hillary was finding on the internet, the last big explosion had been caused partly by the Scarlet Witch hurling someone or something into a building with her powers--she recognized the red tendrils of energy. Wanda Maximoff was a friend of hers--she must be feeling terrible right now, Hillary thought.

“The Center for Disease Control, are you sure?” Mitch Sorensen asked into a phone from the cubicle next to her. The person on the other line was talking loudly. “All right--I need you to get into that building. Make sure emergency crews are on site and doing their job, then talk to security and get video for me...Yes. Thank you. Later. Bye.” Mitch sighed and hung up the office phone with a clunk. “If we don’t have hard evidence that they were actually chasing bad guys, the Avengers are going to be toast,” he said to Hillary. 

“But you think they were after Hydra?” asked Hillary.

“I think so. There was evidence that Brock Rumlow was in the area. Cap wouldn’t have gone there otherwise.”

“Rumlow,” Hillary said, shaking her head. She remembered Rumlow from back in the day. “Any evidence of Jamie Sneld?”

“I think if the Spectre was there we’d know about it already,” said Mitch. He got back onto the computer to survey news feeds. 

Just then, the office door behind them opened. Director Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. came out looking harried. 

“Tanner! Sorensen!” said Coulson.

They both looked up.

“Yes, sir?” said Hillary. 

“I just got a call from the Nigerian Embassy,” said Coulson, stepping closer to them and lowering his voice. “There was a meeting going on--an international panel meeting with a group of ambassadors from Wakanda.”`

“Wakanda?” asked Hillary.

“Where?” asked Mitch.

“Wakanda, the most reclusive country on the planet--dang it, Sorensen, how long have you been working here?” asked Coulson.

“Oh, that Wakanda--wait, Wakanda? You can’t be serious.”

“The Nigerian Embassy wouldn’t be kidding about something this serious,” said Coulson.

“That doesn’t bode well, does it?” said Hillary. “The Avengers accidentally killing a group of Wakandan emissaries--when was the last time they ever sent out ambassadors?”

“They never do,” said Coulson. “But apparently Wakanda’s been in the spotlight a little more, since the whole thing in Sokovia happened.” He folded his arms. “Tanner, do a trend search, see if the press has caught on to that yet.” 

“Yes, sir,” said Hillary. 

“And whatever you tell anyone who calls you, both of you,” said Coulson, “blame it on the bad guys. Make it clear this was an accident.”

“Yes sir,” Mitch echoed bravely.

Everyone took very short lunch breaks that day. In the afternoon, however, Coulson took out Hedwig to go flying at the park--he needed the fresh air to de-stress. Hedwig was acting a little tense herself. 

The afternoon dragged on, and Hillary and Mitch were still working hard trying to see what was had happened in Lagos. As it turned out, Rumlow had been behind it. The Lagos police had arrested his surviving accomplices, who admitted to working with Hydra and Rumlow to collect a biological weapon to sell to another terrorist organization. 

The press, however, couldn’t seem to let go of the civilians who had been killed when Rumlow had been thrown up into the building. Hillary really wanted to know what had happened. Had Wanda been distracted or under pressure at the time? How much of a fight had Rumlow put up with Steve?

That evening, with everyone still busy and working at their desks, Coulson came out of his office to go to the water fountain. Hillary got up and accosted him.

“Have you heard anything from the Avengers?”

“No, I haven’t yet,” said Coulson as he and Hillary walked together out of the suite. “They’re still flying back. It seems like Captain Rogers made sure the necessary emergency staff was on the ground and got out of there pretty fast.”

“And the biological weapon?”

“It was handed back to the authorities. It’s being moved to a more secure location.”

“I should think a facility in a developing country would have hardly been ideal for storing such a hazardous item in the first place.”

“You’ve got me,” said Coulson as they exited the Director’s suite. 

“We should’ve sent people out there as soon as we heard about Rumlow. We could’ve nabbed him first. Or we could’ve secured the building where the Wakandan Delegation was--why didn’t the Nigerian Embassy think to call us?”

Coulson took a long drink from the fountain. “You know how Cap likes to run things--keep S.H.I.E.L.D. out of the way. Fewer people for Hydra to be tempted to fight. Less collateral damage.”

“Collateral damage?” said Hillary. “Sir, the Avengers by themselves could destroy the world if they weren’t careful. Steve didn't know about the delegation. At least with S.H.I.E.L.D. ops on the ground we could have kept civilians out of the way.”

“True,” said Coulson, wiping his lip on his sleeve. 

“Well, I guess best-case scenario is the media doesn’t make a big stink about this the way they’re fixing to.”

“That’s a lot to hope for,” said Coulson. “But we can still hope.”

That hope, however, turned out to be ill-founded. The internet had a field day when it was learned that the reclusive nation of Wakanda had sent emissaries to Lagos only to be killed by the Avengers. Everywhere she looked on the internet, Hillary saw little truth and lots of lies, half-truths and exaggerations. The Avengers were terrorists, no better than the people they hunted down, everyone said. They killed more people than they saved. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s PR department put out a statement saying that the Avengers had not intended the harm. The media took it with a grain of salt: the Avengers, leading pundits claimed, could do better.

When Hillary finally returned home to her apartment late that night, she checked her phone and saw a text from her boyfriend, Mark. He was sad that they weren’t able to skype that night. It felt good, to know she was loved after all the horrible things that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers were accused of. 

 

Hillary and Mitch worked overtime for the next three days. Several weeks passed, and S.H.I.E.L.D. watched helplessly as the public tore the Avengers to shreds. The pundits weighed in and opinionated bloggers spoke out: the Avengers were a menace to society and needed to be controlled. All superhumans, in fact, were dangerous and should either submit to authority or be exterminated. 

Tony Stark, who himself had been part of the Avengers team before last year’s disaster in Sokovia, was speaking publicly about his peers. He didn’t denounce them, in fact he was trying very hard to defend them. 

And then there was Secretary Ross. Ex-general William “Thunderbird” Ross had recently been appointed the U.S. Secretary of State, and he was speaking regularly to the press and the U.S. congress about passing regulations on superheroes. He had even made several very public trips to New York City to visit the United Nations on the issue. Coulson didn’t like him--when Hillary asked why he said it was because Ross had been behind the experiment Bruce Banner had volunteered for that made him into the Hulk and then been an absolute jerk about the results. Ross had regarded Hulk as government property and hounded Banner across the world. Ross saw superhumans as beneath him--he feared them and only wanted to control them.

Captain America and the current Avengers team, however, retreated back to their base in upstate New York. They hadn’t gone out to fight since the incident in Lagos. Hillary texted Wanda Maximoff a week after the incident. Rumlow had been distracting Steve and Wanda was trying to help him, but ended up hurling an explosive into the building along with Rumlow. She couldn’t go out in public anymore without people staring at her and whispering. Even in the small, friendly upstate town of Corinth, people were afraid of her. She had moved into quarters at the Avengers base until the media storm had passed. Vision had moved in with her to keep her company. But it was small consolation--she was really down on herself.

Hillary: I wish I could go up there and visit to cheer you up. Everything’s just been so busy.  
Wanda: I understand, Hillary. You just keep doing your job.   
Hillary: I wish it was easier for you to do yours.  
Wanda: I guess it was really that horrible Rumlow’s fault--but if only I’d had a different way of finishing him. I’m still learning the extent of my powers. I don’t really know how to control them completely. I shouldn’t be on the Avengers, if I’m not this qualified.  
Hillary: Nonsense, you’re far more qualified than I am. Don’t get down on yourself. You can’t please everyone.


	2. A Disagreeable Accord

Near Moab, Utah

The safety line vibrated as the climbers emerged from the mine shaft. Jamie was the first to surface. She looked around cautiously at the space on top of the cliff. She lifted herself out of the hole and moved aside for her friend, Aaron Tueller. Tueller had a loaded backpack and a pick on his back. He came out of the cleft and removed the gear and sat down to rest, breathing heavily.

They turned off their headlamps. As Jamie caught her own breath, Aaron removed two nearly-empty water bottles from the backpack and they drank. He also held out two granola bars. He offered one to Jamie, but she declined. 

“How about those rock samples, then?” Jamie asked.

“Right, let’s check out the goods!” Aaron pulled out a small flashlight and a paper bundle from the backpack. Unwrapping the paper, he shone the light on the rocks crumpled inside. He held one in his hand, and small flakes of it broke off. “The surrounding mineral should come off easily,” he said. “This lump here will be enough to make my own weapon--there’s enough here to make two or three more if we wanted.” He looked at Jamie eagerly.

“You hardly got the approval to make one for yourself,” said Jamie flatly. 

“Yes--but once I create a successful prototype, Williams will not dare to refuse any further requests.”

“Williams isn’t interested in making glowsticks, Aaron. He wants practical weapons, not laser swords.”

“Laser swords are cooler.”

“They’re more dangerous. Besides, Hydra doesn’t even have enough access to eurekaite right now to grant a supply for you to play with--why Williams would allow you to collect any for your personal use is beyond me.”

“Right, because we won’t be able to get any more after tomorrow.”

“Hydra can take what it wants, regardless of the laws,” said Jamie. “The rest of the world can perish without it.”

“I agree,” said Aaron. He started to carefully rewrap his eurekaite samples. Jamie put her caving helmet back on.

“Are you sure you can figure out how to build a functioning lightsaber?” she asked him.

“We have S.H.I.E.L.D.’s records and Stark’s files to go off, from when your friend Emily built hers--”

“She wasn’t my friend.”

Aaron dismissed the slight. “Anyway, it shouldn’t be too difficult. And it’ll give me something to do while we wait for our orders.”

Jamie coiled up their safety rope and hung it over her back. They began to follow a steep, narrow trail down the side of the cliff. 

“Jamie?” Aaron asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you miss Rumlow?”

Jamie was quiet for a moment, and then answered, “I don’t. He only ever made pretensions to be friends with me.” 

“I get it.”

They didn’t speak the rest of the way down the cliff and the canyon to their car.

 

Mesa, Arizona

There was a singles dance being held at the LDS Stake Center. The cultural hall was filled but not packed, and the majority of the attendees were participating in both fast and slow dances.

Hillary Tanner and her boyfriend, Mark Lawson, lurked on the chairs when the fast songs played, and during the slow songs they danced slowly on the edge of the room with their arms around each other--after years of being single themselves, they were finally one of those couples.

“I Swear” by All4One was currently blasting over the speakers, the lyrics barely discernable over the chattering crowd. But Mark and Hillary weren’t really talking that much. In fact, Hillary just wrapped herself more tightly around Mark and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

Then she had a thought.

“Mark?”

“Mm-hm?”

She leaned up to speak into his ear. “Do you think this’ll be the last time we see each other before we get engaged? Finally?”

Mark laughed quietly. “I still haven’t found a ring yet, remember?”

“I know. But you don’t have to wait to take me ring shopping. I thought we discussed it. You can just look at my Pinterest board--”

“I will, I will,” he said as the song ended. “I keep meaning to, really. I just keep forgetting.” 

Hillary laughed a little. They walked off the dance floor together holding hands. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you.” If she wasn’t so in love with him, she would have minded a lot more. Yes, she loved him. She knew that for sure now.

“Well, by the time I do check your Pinterest board, and go shopping, and get a ring, how long will you have been gone for?”

“I don’t know,” said Hillary, shaking her head. Another couple had taken their seats so they waited into the corner next to the hall dividers. “I haven’t even discussed with Coulson yet when my next weekend off is going to be.”

“What about your birthday in June?”

“Hm, that’s a thought. I dunno. I spent my birthday out here last year.”

“Maybe I could fly out to D.C.--”

“Do you have the money?”

“It wouldn’t be hard to come up with.”

“Mark, plane tickets to D.C. are expensive and you’re not a S.H.I.E.L.D. employee. You shouldn’t fly out there if you don’t have to.”

“But I’d like to give you a ring for your birthday, though.”

“It doesn’t have to be my birthday.”

“Well, it’s a thought.”

He kissed her cheek. She smirked. She couldn’t wait to actually be married to Mark. Their long-distance relationship was so trying for them both. Coulson had said to her more than once that she only needed to say the word and he could transfer her to Tempe permanently.

And she wouldn’t mind getting out of D.C. In the month since the incident in Lagos the world had turned in revulsion against the Avengers. There were rumors that the United Nations or the U.S. Congress or NATO or somebody was going to pass some kind of a resolution. Her days at work were passed fielding phone calls and watching speculation on the internet. At least, if she worked closer to home, matters that affected the whole world and their greatest defenders wouldn’t weigh her down so much.

But she felt like there was something missing in her life. She knew that Mark sensed it. She would make peace with being incomplete, sooner or later. She had to--what were the chances she would ever see her friend Bucky ever again? He wouldn’t turn up in a world that was growing increasingly hostile towards superhumans, chances were not even for her wedding.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Mark said to her when they walked out of the church at the end of the dance.

“Yes, I do,” said Hillary, squeezing Mark’s hand a little more. “I wish he would let Steve find him--at least before the stupid government decides to prosecute him.”

“Well, I do too,” said Mark. “But I thought you learned from Bucky that you have no control over other people’s choices.”

“Yeah--but I’ll be fine.”

That was why she loved Mark so much--he was the one constant in her life, a life that was always changing. But maybe after they got married she could have a little more stability, perhaps?

They were almost to Mark’s car. They stopped a few feet away and Mark hugged her. They swayed on the spot as they lingered. 

She knew that look on Mark’s face. They had been dating for over a year and they still hadn’t kissed on the mouth yet.

Well, maybe it was time.

They leaned their faces in closer and--

Hillary’s purse vibrated as her phone went off. She had half a mind to ignore it, but, apologizing to Mark, she pulled it out. It was Coulson.

This can’t be good, Hillary thought. It was four in the morning back in Washington.

“Hello?”

“Hillary! Oh, thank goodness I caught you!” said Coulson. He sounded distressed. “I need you to come in.”

“Come in? Now?”

“Yes--listen, there’s a lot to explain. But Secretary Ross has made a deal with the UN. They finished it up just a few hours ago, and tomorrow he and Tony Stark--”

“Stark?”

“Yes, he and Stark are meeting with the Avengers.”

“How did you not know about this until now?”

“Hill and Fury came and told me.”

“Have you had any sleep?”

“No, I’m running on caffeine currently. I’ll sleep while you’re flying over here. I’ve got a flight for you leaving Phoenix at four.”

“Four!”

“With a connecting flight to D.C. from Dallas. Mitch will meet you there.”

Hillary wanted to ask for more details, but if Coulson was going to deprive her of sleep (which he normally made it a point to avoid) it was probably serious.

For half a moment, Hillary wondered if Bucky was going to be affected by these developments. But she knew she couldn’t let herself worry about him just then.

“I’ll be there. Just stay calm, boss.”

“I am trying and failing.”

“Well, don’t worry. I’ll be there to help you out.”

“See you later, then.”

“Later.” She hung up.

Mark was watching her. He had evidently heard the conversation--he looked more worried than disappointed.

“Do you need to go home and pack?”

“Yes. It shouldn’t take long.” They walked around to the separate sides of the car.

“I can take you to the airport, you know.”

“Please don’t. You have work in the morning.”

“Your work takes precedence. I wanna help you out.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s get you home first.”

 

Washington, D.C.

“Are you just trying to be dramatic, boss?” Hillary asked Coulson when he picked up her and Mitch from the airport. 

“I just wanted you to be here as soon as possible to handle whatever came up,” said Coulson. His brow was furrowed. 

“Well, did you sleep while we were flying over here?” asked Mitch, yawning. 

“I only wanted to make sure Ross wasn’t up to any tricks,” said Coulson. He had bags under his eyes. “The press is releasing more details about the Accords a little bit at a time.”

“So what do these...Accords do to the Avengers?” asked Hillary.

“Well, we haven’t figured out the nuts and bolts just yet. But apparently the Avengers will now answer to a UN panel. They cannot go out and fight bad guys without that panel’s approval.”

“So that’s basically saying they can’t go out at all,” said Hillary. She was kind of irritated about being deprived of sleep--and she’d been thinking about what this development meant.

“No, it’s not,” said Mitch.

“It’s saying that they have to have official sanction for their missions--and I don’t think that is impossible to get,” said Coulson. “If a threat is a big enough concern to the world, then the Avengers should be able to go out and do their thing. Common sense.”

“But if the people on this panel are trying to protect their own interests, they may not be willing to let the Avengers go to certain places, or fight certain people,” said Hillary. How was she even thinking this clearly? The sun was already up and they had to squint in order to see. “Suppose Captain America doesn’t agree with that decision? Then what?”

“I think the Accords should allow for room to maneuver, Hillary,” said Coulson. “We’ll find out more as things develop.

Mitch yawned again. “So how did you know about all this?”

“Nick Fury and Maria Hill have been keeping tabs on Ross. Hill called me when she heard that Ross had gone back to New York for a final meeting with the UN. I’ve been watching the news waiting for them to finish.”

“And you said earlier that Stark is behind this?” said Hillary.

“Yes--well, Stark decided to endorse the bill a few days ago.”

“Endorse? Since when is he a politician?” asked Mitch.

“Good question. Fury says Stark has been researching ways to regulate superheroes since last fall. Guilt over Sokovia, is my guess. Hill says he’s even met with Ross a few times.”

Hillary spat. “I thought you said Ross was enemies with Banner.”

“Yes. But now that Banner’s out of the picture, Stark might be a little more open-minded.” Coulson huffed. “Where is the big guy when you need him?”  
It was a Friday. What should have been a more relaxed day at the office in anticipation of the weekend was, instead, a hurried and anxious day. All day, Hillary was busy taking emails and phone calls and sorting through files. Coulson even sent Hedwig out to deliver a few memos to other departments, he had so many things to do. 

“So let me get this straight,” Mitch said to Coulson after lunch break. They were in the director’s suite, and Hedwig was on Coulson’s arm. “The Accords say if any of the Avengers refuse to sign, they won’t be allowed to serve anymore?”

“That’s the jist of it,” said Coulson. He stroked Hedwig’s back while she looked back and forth across the office. “The way Ross wrote it up, anyone who refuses to submit to his--ahem, herm, the UN’s authority--is considered a threat.”

“Wow. That’s a bit harsh.” 

“But it’s not surprising, considering Ross’s track record,” said Coulson. “He feels like he has to be in charge of everything.”

Hillary was on the phone. She hung up and then walked up to Coulson and Mitch. 

“That was the D.C. Chronicle,” said Hillary. “They were wondering if you could give them a statement.”

“Did you send them to PR?” asked Coulson.

“Yes, but they wanted a statement from you.”

“Oh. You must’ve told them I wasn’t interested.”

“I took the liberty of saying that, if you don’t mind. We can call them back.”

“No, that’s all right,” said Coulson, shaking his free hand. Hedwig swiveled her head over to look at Hillary. “It’s too soon to tell, I think, exactly what these Accords will do. I don’t want to make a statement just yet. If I do at all.”

The door to the suite opened. Nick Fury and Maria Hill entered. A few people glanced up at the former directors of S.H.I.E.L.D. but weren’t very ruffled by their appearance. Fury was wearing all black, as usual, with a long trenchcoat in spite of the summer weather outside. Maria wore a short blue dress and a pale blue cardigan, quite chic compared with Fury. Hedwig jumped to Coulson’s shoulder as Coulson approached them to shake hands.

“Sir,” said Coulson. 

“I thought you’d be too busy to be walking that bird around, Coulson,” said Fury gruffly.

“I thought they’d be needing you up there at the base--both of you.”

Fury said something expletive-laced about not wanting to be in the same building as Ross. Maria coughed and Hillary blushed.

“Captain Rogers asked me to come here and help you out,” said Hill. “The Avengers’ support staff have been sent home for the day. There’s not been much going on with them lately, anyway.”

“Are they being fired or reorganized?” asked Coulson.

“No, the Accords aren’t going to affect them--at least we think not yet.”

“So how detailed are these accords, anyway?” asked Mitch. “Can the Avengers not tie their shoes without the UN panel saying so?”

“I haven’t read it yet,” said Fury. “The document has been released only to a handful of media outlets. The Avengers themselves don’t even know what it is yet. Ross and Stark have kept this under wraps.”

“Funny, I thought Stark would’ve liked to keep his friends updated about what he was trying to do for them,” said Hillary.

“Well, Agent Tanner, you’ll find out that Tony doesn’t always tell his friends what he’s up to,” said Maria. “Particularly if he thinks the Captain won’t like it.”

“Sounds like the Captain won’t like this, then,” said Hillary. 

“When are Ross and Stark meeting with the Avengers?” Coulson asked.

Fury checked his watch. “Should be about now. They’ll have some time to go over it, then maybe decide whether or not to accept.”

“But if the Accords are already going to be ratified, sounds like the Avengers don’t have any say to what’s in them,” said Hillary. “That’s not very fair.”

“I think it’s fair,” said Mitch.

“Oh really?” said Hillary, turning to face him with her arms folded. 

“Yes. Well, if you’re a superhuman who won’t abide by the rules that are going to protect people, then you’re not really protecting anybody.”

“Since when do people’s arbitrary rules dictate what’s right and what’s wrong?”

“Well, not everyone’s perfect, Hillary. I thought you knew that. These Accords--they aren’t bad necessarily. They’re just guidelines for making sure innocent people don’t get hurt and that superheroes don’t cause too much harm.”

“Since when does anybody need permission to do the right thing? And since when do superheroes fight anybody who keeps the rules?”

“If Captain Rogers and the others cooperate, they can still do what they want.” Mitch looked up at Hill and Fury. “The Accords are going to be flexible, right?”  
Maria shook her head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

“I’ve heard Stark make some offhand comments about ‘amendments’,” said Fury. “But I haven’t seen or heard anything to back it up.”

One of the agents in the suite approached Coulson and asked him about something. “I have to go and see to a small matter of business in the Tech department,” Coulson told Hill and Fury. “Why don’t you two wait in my office?”

Coulson turned to leave. Hedwig hopped on his shoulder--she wanted on her perch in the office. Coulson asked Hillary to get the door, and she held it open for Fury, Hill, and Hedwig, who came gliding in after Maria and went to her perch in the corner.

“Can I get anything for you two?” Hillary asked when Fury and Hill were in Coulson’s office.

Fury looked around, evidently comparing this office to the spacious room he had once occupied in the Triskelion. “I’m good,” he said.

Maria looked over at Hedwig as she preened herself in the corner. “Such a pretty owl. Can I pet her?”

“Yes--if she lets you,” said Hillary. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything. Coulson should be back in a minute.”

 

About half an hour later, Coulson got a text from Steve Rogers saying he wanted to have a skype call. Coulson went into his office with Hillary, Mitch, Fury, and Hill. Hillary had never seen Steve looking so sad and worried all at once in his life. 

“I thought I’d call you while I still had the chance,” said Steve. He sighed heavily and stated, “I got a text about an hour ago. Peggy Carter has passed away.”

“No,” Coulson said, an ache in his voice. Hillary gasped.

“Oh dear,” said Maria. “I’m so so sorry.”

Nick Fury nodded. 

“I’m sorry, Cap,” said Mitch. 

“When is the funeral?” asked Coulson.

“The funeral is two days from now, in London,” said Steve. “It’s the day before the signing of the Accords in Vienna.”

“Oh. So I guess if you’re going to that it shouldn’t be too hard to just hop on a jet over there--” Maria guessed.

“Yeah. Nat and Sam are coming to the funeral with me. Nat says she’ll go to Vienna, on behalf of the Avengers.”

“And you? Will you go to Vienna?” asked Coulson. “I mean, you’re pretty much the head of the team. It would be a show of good faith, you know.”

“I know, but here’s the thing,” Steve began. In the corner, Hedwig stopped her preening to listen. “I don’t want to sign the Accords. I think they’re a bad idea.”

“Are you kidding me, Cap?” said Fury.

“Steve, you can’t do this,” said Maria. “The international community wants some kind of a change to how things are done.”

“Why don’t you want to, Steve?” asked Coulson.

“Because the safest hands are still our own--like I was telling Tony earlier,” said Steve. “Whenever I’ve had someone else telling me what to do, it’s never worked out. You remember what happened when Hydra came out, Fury, Coulson. This UN panel--even if they have the best intentions, they don’t always know what’s best for saving people.”

“And you do, Rogers?” said Fury.

“These disasters that the world’s governments are pinning us for? They’re not our fault. We didn’t ask Loki and the aliens to invade New York. We didn’t tell Hydra and Rumlow to attack innocent people in Lagos. And last I checked, Ultron was sentient enough to choose to blow a crater in Sokovia. Putting regulations on the people who are trying to save lives when bad things happen is not going to keep disasters from happening--it’ll only make them worse. And just because things don’t always go right and people die doesn’t mean you should give up.”

“Cap, do you even hear yourself?” said Nick Fury, raising his voice. “You really think the best way to save lives is to neglect all the destruction that’s caused?”

“I don’t neglect the destruction, I never have,” said Steve, furrowing his brow. “I have always made it a point with both Avengers teams to make sure that civilians who need it get help and that people are out of the way. It’s not possible to save everyone, but we help as many people as possible. But--my issue is, can the Avengers really function the way we need to, if someone else is telling us what to do?”

“Is that the jist of the Accords, then?” said Coulson. 

“Ross didn’t bother explaining much of the details to us,” said Steve. “He did, however, give us this to look over.” Steve held up a thick, paper-bound book. Coulson whistled.

“Are you kidding?” said Mitch.

“I’m not,” said Steve. “This UN Panel...Ross has everything down to the last detail. These laws aren’t just for the Avengers, they’re for all superhumans. Anything that could contribute to a supernatural disaster--minerals, research, specialized weapons, anything you could think of--it’s either approved by the UN Panel or banned. I looked over a few of the pages. A lot of this could affect the work S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing. And, Coulson, you should probably know that they banned eurekaite. And animals with enhanced abilities trained to work with humans. Anything that could be considered a personalized weapon is now illegal.” 

“So basically my owl and my lightsaber are now both contraband?”

Steve sighed and shifted in his chair. “Basically. You could apply to have them both approved by the UN. I still need to read up on it but I’m not exactly sure how that process works--Ross didn’t stick around long enough to explain. He basically just told us that from now on we do as he tells us or we won’t be allowed to help people anymore.”

“And if you do any of those things without UN approval?” asked Coulson.

“Ross didn’t explain that part either--but he said that superhumans who violated regulations would be placed in special custody.”

“So most of your issues are because Ross didn’t really tell you what you’re supposed to be doing now?” said Mitch. “That’s understandable, Cap. But maybe if you just read that booklet over--maybe these rules really aren’t so bad.”

“I’d like to think that, Mitch. But these Accords could do more harm than good. They could hurt people with good intentions, aggravate the people with bad ones. And make a way for politicians to take advantage of us. It’s a risk I’m not comfortable taking.”

“Do you have any idea who’s going to be on this UN panel?” asked Maria.

“I have no idea. Supposedly they were going to wait until after the signing to appoint members.”

“Well, that could give you some leeway, Cap,” said Maria. “Go ahead and sign the Accords. See if you can negotiate the terms. Get people who share your values on that panel. You can make this work, you know.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m not sure that I could.” 

“Cap, the world needs the Avengers,” said Maria. “You are the first line of defense against the worst threats--Ultron, Loki, you name it. There is no way the UN wouldn’t let you protect the world.”

“I’m sorry. But I don’t think it will work.”

“Well, you know, even if you don’t sign the Accords next week, you can change your mind at any time, right?” said Fury.

“I don’t think I’m going to,” said Steve. 

“Well, I suggest you do,” said Fury. “It might be better for everybody if you did. It’s not just about how you think.” 

“Right. It’s about what everyone else thinks.”

Hillary leaned closer to Coulson’s computer screen. “Do you know specifically if the Accords are going to affect Bucky?”

“I don’t know,” said Steve. The irritation on his place was replaced with worry. “I need to read this booklet a little closer, but if you ask me it doesn’t look good. He hasn’t exactly kept his record clean since leaving Hydra. And they could always get him charged for what he did as the Winter Soldier. As for getting actual help for him when he is found--therapy and stuff--that could be a lot more difficult.”

“You just need to persuade the right people that he’s innocent--like you should have done in the first place,” said Coulson.

“You have any ideas of who to talk to that would listen?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d obviously heard that suggestion before.

“No.”

“Well--I just don’t know. Tony says he’s trying to help us--I’m not convinced that he is. I’m going to do a little more research when I get back from London. I’m leaving tonight.”

“Well, hopefully nothing crazy happens while you’re over there, like when you went to Sokovia last year,” Hillary said, smirking.

Steve let out a quiet laugh. “Right. But I think I should be fine. It’s just a funeral, really. Nothing bad happens at funerals, right?”

Hillary shook her head. “I’m still having deja vous.” 

“So do you how the other Avengers feel about this?” asked Coulson.

Steve sighed. “Well, Natasha actually feels the way you do. She thinks we can work around it. Rhodes wants to go along with it. So does Vision. But Sam smells a rat.”

“How about Wanda?” asked Hillary.

“Wanda, she’s...feeling a lot more insecure lately. She’s the superhuman that the press repeatedly likes to bash. It would be in her best interests to sign it, probably, but she’s never liked having someone she didn’t trust tell her what to do.”

“Well, they’re called the ‘Sokovia’ Accords,” said Coulson. “Certainly she takes that as a personal insult.”

“She does, yes,” Steve nodded. 

“Well...it’s not the end of the world, as long as nothing bad happens, I guess,” said Mitch.

“Right. I guess if the UN panel won’t let me work for them, my friends could handle it.”

“And are you going to be happy, just sitting on the sidelines?” asked Hillary. 

“You calling me a liar, Tanner?”

“I’m just saying, I know you.”

Steve nodded. “It’s tough. Anyway, I’ll talk to you guys some more later. I need to go home to pack.”

“You do that,” said Maria.

“Send my regards to Peggy’s friends and family,” said Coulson.

“I will,” said Steve. “Take care.”


	3. Hedwig's Errand

Maria Hill and Nick Fury left to go find a hotel. Most of the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the director’s office started packing up to leave, but Mitch and Hillary stayed behind and continued working. Coulson was alone in his office with Hedwig on his armchair, petting her fondly and talking to her.

Hillary entered the office with a printed report for Coulson on a recent S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation in Cambodia. She put it on his desk. Coulson barely looked up at her. 

“There’s something else you should know,” said Hillary, gathering her courage. “The press just released a statement that the Sokovia Accords are going to put limitations on S.H.I.E.L.D..”

Coulson was paying attention now.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer allowed to assist the Avengers. We are also no longer allowed to hire superhumans to work for us. Or to fight against superhumans. Those tasks are now strictly the domain of the Avengers under the approval of the UN.”

Coulson shook his head. “So what else is new?” 

“I could go and check. They release a new statement on the Accords every five minutes.” 

Coulson sighed heavily with his hands on his desk. “The more I hear about these Accords the less I like them. I’d like to think that the Accords are somehow trying to help the Avengers--”

“Well, yes, they are,” said Hillary. “But they have something bigger in mind, too, you know. They want superheroes to be able to cooperate with the world’s governments--and that way they could protect more people, and not surprise civilians as much.” 

“I get that,” said Coulson. “Honestly I’m torn. I want to change the way things are done with superhero work. There’s no reason we shouldn’t do that. But what if Cap’s right? What if we can’t really trust the people who are going to be telling the Avengers what to do? What if it doesn’t work out. There’s too many variables at stake.” 

“I agree,” said Hillary. “Have you ever heard of the starfish analogy?”

“The what?”

“The starfish analogy. It’s a parable used in my church sometimes. There was a man walking along a beach. The tide was going out and there were thousands of starfish being left high and dry on the sand. But further down the beach, there was another guy who was picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea so they wouldn’t drown. The first guy reaches him and he asks, ‘What are you doing? You know you can’t save all of the starfish on this beach, right? How could you possibly be making a difference?’ And the second guy didn’t answer right away. He just picked up another starfish and threw it back into the waves. And then he said, ‘It made a difference for that starfish.’”

Coulson gave her a confused look. So did Hedwig.

“I’m not saying that it’s justified for Cap to cause wanton destruction--”

“I know you’re not. What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that the way Captain America sees the world and the way people like Ross and Stark and the UN see the world is different. The world expects to save everybody. But Cap’s a soldier, he’s seen what war does, he knows you can’t save everyone. But he does what he can. And for the people he does save--they’re able to go on with their lives, they’re free from oppression and from destruction. It makes all the difference. I know if Steve hadn’t spared Bucky’s life two years ago when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, my family would never have known him.”

“Are you saying Bucky is Steve’s starfish?”

Hillary laughed. “No. Maybe. But, I’m just saying, Steve knows what he’s doing. He usually does. He won’t oppose the Accords without a good reason.”

“I know he wouldn’t,” said Coulson. “But the Accords’ policy is absolute: if any of the Avengers refuse to sign the Accords, they can no longer be a part of the team.”

“But does that mean that Steve will no longer be Captain America?” 

“I don’t think they’d take his shield away without good reason,” said Coulson. “That’s an item of historical significance.”

“But it’s a weapon.”

“Right. I don’t know. I think Steve will do what he wants. And he can cause a lot of damage without his shield to begin with.”

“So he’s only okay as long as he doesn’t do something against the Accords?”

“I imagine Steve’s pretty smart. He stays out of trouble when he has to.” Hedwig jumped off of the back of Coulson’s chair onto the desk. 

“So what do you think? Will the UN let you keep Hedwig?”

Coulson frowned. “I doubt it. And I don’t think Hedwig wants to stay here.” Hedwig shook her head. 

“So where should she go?”

Coulson stroked Hedwig’s back. So did Hillary. “Wherever she goes,” Coulson began, “she’ll have to take Emily’s lightsaber with her. I can no longer keep that, either. We should send her to someone we trust.”

“Okay. So somebody who likes both Star Wars and Harry Potter.”

“Exactly. But also someone who doesn’t work for S.H.I.E.L.D. or any other government organization. Hedwig needs to stay off the radar.”

Hillary immediately thought of someone with those qualifications. “How about Mark? He’s a huge geek and he lives fairly close to my family--if we sent Hedwig to him, he could keep an eye on her.”

Hedwig looked up at Hillary.

“Hedwig wouldn’t necessarily stay in one place, just drop off the lightsaber and go into hiding,” said Coulson. “Could we trust Mark with something as important as this?”

“I should say so,” said Hillary. “I’m going to marry him, aren’t I?” She patted Hedwig on the head. “What do you think, girl? Could we leave the lightsaber with Mark?” 

Hedwig chirped loudly. 

“I think that’s a ‘yes’.”

“It was a ‘yes’,” said Coulson. “She probably shouldn’t stay with Mark for long-term anyway. It’s getting to be hot down there in the East Valley, isn’t it?”

Hillary nodded. “It is indeed. But it’s always cooler up in the mountains. She could go there if she wants.”

“Or go someplace further north. I dunno, though. I don’t want to send her to Elaine. That could draw attention--and Elaine doesn’t need that.”

“I agree. But Mark can take care of himself, I think. Other than being friends with Cap, Mark doesn’t have any associations with superhumans.”

“Didn’t Bucky crash you and Mark’s first date?” 

Hillary laughed. “Don’t remind me.” 

“So,” said Coulson, “I’ll probably send her out first thing tomorrow morning. Can you give me Mark’s address?”

“Sure.” She stroked Hedwig’s head. “Well...I am going to miss you, girl.”

Hedwig looked up at Hillary. The feeling was mutual. 

“You and Mitch can go home for the night,” said Coulson. “You’ve already stayed long enough.”

“Thank you, sir.” Hillary turned to leave the office, but wondered if she would ever see the owl again. “Goodnight, Coulson.”

“Goodnight, Hillary.”

“Bye, Hedwig.”

Hedwig kept her eyes on Hillary until she’d left the office. 

Hillary gathered up her personal items from her cubicle. She told Mitch that Coulson had said they could go.

“You know, the Accords aren’t really a bad idea,” said Mitch.

“You think I think they are?”

“You certainly act like it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Mitch packed his shoulder bag and followed Hillary out of the director’s suite. “It’s not the end of the world if the Avengers team has to disband if they can’t agree to this.”

“I know,” said Hillary. “But let’s wait and see how things go. Maybe they will find a way to make it work. Maybe it won’t really change the things that matter.”

 

The next morning, Coulson arrived at Headquarters at dawn with Hedwig. He also brought packing paper and a narrow box for the lightsaber. Emily Bridger’s lightsaber had been sitting on the shelf behind his desk for the past year and a half collecting dust. He wiped it off with a cloth before putting it in the paper.  
Hedwig chirped at Coulson as he worked, watching him from his desk.

“It’s not that heavy, Hedwig,” he said to her. He placed the lightsaber in the box and wrapped the box in packing tape. He then scribbled Mark Lawson’s address onto one end. He also took a piece of rope through the corner of the box so Hedwig could carry it. It was ready.

He sighed. True, he had pictures of Emily on the shelf, but the shelf looked emptier without her weapon as the centerpiece. He walked over to his office window and opened it wide. “Hedwig, come here.”

Hedwig flew across the room to the window sill. 

“Now, Hedwig,” said Coulson, “you remember Mark Lawson from last Thanksgiving with the Tanners, right?” Hedwig bobbed her head in the affirmative. “Take this package to Mark. And then stay off the radar.

But Hedwig was telling Coulson something with her eyes. For how long?

“I’m not sure how long you need to stay away, Hedwig,” said Coulson. “I guess until things blow over.”

But they’re not going to blow over any time soon. You know that. You feel it, don’t you?

Coulson sighed. “When would you like to come back?”

When you need me, I will come and find you, Hedwig told him. 

“All right, then,” said Coulson. He patted Hedwig a few more times on the back. He was going to miss her--she’d only been in his life for about six months and she had changed it profoundly. “Goodbye. Stay safe.”

She was going to miss him, too. Coulson backed away from the sill and watched her spread her wings and fly off into the distance, wondering how long she would have to be gone

 

Hillary was not surprised to be called into work at five-thirty in the morning on Monday. The assembly that was going to sign the Accords into law had been hit with a terrorist’s bomb. True, it was a sad thing to hear about, but for Hillary these disasters were starting to get old.

“I’m not surprised this happened, either,” said Coulson grimly. “It’s never a good sign when somebody writes a 300-page manual that no one would read and try to make it into law.”

Hill and Fury had come over also. Fury watched the news on Mitch’s computer with his arms folded.

“So obviously someone doesn’t like the Accords. Now what?” asked Fury.

“Well, if it’s Hydra, our S.H.I.E.L.D. team should be able to track them down,” said Maria. “So right now we just wait.”

Coulson had already called the S.H.I.E.L.D. office in Vienna. He hated waiting. So did Hillary. She refreshed her internet page every few minutes. Hours passed. Agent Culver brought donuts for everyone who had been called in early. What Hillary really needed was a diet coke, but there wasn’t any to be had.

Then, at around eleven, the BBC news announced that a suspect had been sighted by security cameras prior to the bombing. Hillary and Coulson were coming out of the director’s office. Mitch backed away so they could watch. Coulson motioned across the room for Fury and Hill to join them at Mitch’s desk.

The footage a man with shoulder-length hair and wearing a dark jacket and baseball cap, staring straight into the camera. 

The newscaster announced, “The suspect is believed to be terrorist James Barnes, known as the Winter Soldier.”

Coulson muttered a profanity. 

“It can’t be,” said Maria.

Mitch covered his mouth with his hand. Fury scowled harder.

Hillary felt her insides slowly turning to lead.

“No.”


	4. Not All Frames are for Pretty Pictures

Mesa, Arizona

Agnes Tanner Brown was watching the news in her room at the nursing home that afternoon. The coverage from Austria announced the identity of the suspected bomber. Agnes grabbed the phone next to her bed and started calling up her family.

“Yes, that’s right! That filthy hobo! I’d know his face anywhere!” she said gleefully. “I knew he wouldn’t come to any good!”

Her son Trey Tanner told his mother to calm down. “Are you even sure it was him?”

“Yes, I am sure!” said Agnes. “The newscaster gave us his name and everything!”

“Mom, I--”

“Trey, you shut up and listen to me! You should never have taken in that miscreant! He was never any good, and now the whole world knows it! I hope you’re proud of him now! You watch, he’ll come back and kill us all!”

When Agnes finally hung up the phone, Trey called the nursing home staff and asked them to check his mother’s medication dosage. 

 

Washington, D.C.

Mitch had the Vienna S.H.I.E.L.D. station contact the local police. They were forwarded the footage and still photos of the bomber right after lunch.  
Mitch printed off one of the stills. It came out rather blurry. He held it up close to his face.

“I dunno, Coulson,” said Mitch, squinting. “It’s hard to be sure it’s him. I think I’d recognize him if it was. But then again the only time I ever met him was on a dark night.”

“You just don’t want it to be him, do you?” said Coulson.

“Do you?”

“No,” said Coulson. “I mean yes, I don’t want it to be him. For Steve’s sake, mostly.” He looked down at Hillary. Hillary was trying to distract herself by watching for news updates and trends online. Sadly “James Barnes” and “Winter Soldier” currently held places on both Twitter and Facebook.

“Hey, Hillary?”

Hillary looked up at him. “What? Yeah, boss?”

“Do you still have pictures of Bucky on your phone? From when he lived with your family?”

Hillary glared at Coulson suspiciously. “What, am I being required to submit evidence for the case now?”

“I just want to double-check to see if the guy they found bears any resemblance.”

Hillary gave Coulson a look. She opened up the photo album on her camera to a funny selfie that Bucky had once sent her from her mom’s phone. Mitch was trying so hard not to laugh that he spat. 

“Very funny, Agent,” said Coulson. 

Hillary got out of her seat to compare the photo on the phone with the print, then with the video in the computer.

“I think that other guy is skinnier,” said Mitch.

“He could have lost weight,” said Coulson.

“No, Bucky definitely has a much bigger build than that.”

Hillary was staring at the recording on Mitch’s computer. “Huh?” she said suddenly.

“What? What is it?” asked Coulson.

“Why is this guy staring straight into the camera?”

“What do you mean?”

“If...whoever this bomber was were trying to get away with the bombing--which I assume Bucky would do if he was the bomber--why would he be looking straight into the camera? Seems kind of counterintuitive, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, well…” Coulson thought for a moment. “This person, whoever they are, they want the world to know it was them. But…” he broke off, looking at Hillary.   
Hillary folded her arms and sighed. “Here’s another thing: if this security camera footage is all they have to go off of, then why go ahead and accuse him? Do they have any more evidence?”

“Hillary, the public wants to know as soon as the authorities find anything,” said Coulson. “The world is demanding answers. You know how this works.”  
Hillary paused before speaking again. “It’s not enough for me.” 

Ever since the accusation had been announced, Hillary’s mind had been a maelstrom of emotion. She didn’t know how to convey the smallest part of what she felt without completely giving in and crying while at work. She didn’t want to believe that Bucky had been the bomber. The press was calling him a terrorist and a criminal mastermind. Those words didn’t describe the Bucky she knew. So until they knew for sure, she was not going to react. She was not going to let anyone else tell her how to feel.

 

At about two in the afternoon, Coulson’s personal cell phone went off. It was Natasha Romanoff.

“Natasha.”

“Coulson, it’s good to hear your voice,” she said. She sounded worried.

“You’re in Vienna, right?” 

“Yes, I am. For right now. I wasn’t injured in the blast.”

“Thank goodness. What’s happening down there?”

“The CIA sent its Anti-Terrorist commission to look into the bombing. Sharon Carter is with them.”

“Really? How is she?”

“She’s doing fine, considering she just got back from a funeral. But she didn’t come alone. I got a phone call a few hours ago from Steve. I’m pretty sure Sam   
was with him.”

“How is Steve taking all of this?”

“Steve is going after his Bucky. What do you think?”

“He is? And Wilson with him?”

“Of course. Sometimes I think Wilson is the only person who keeps Steve from spiraling into total insanity--but now I guess Wilson is going along with it.”

“Great. Are they still in town?”

“No. My sources tell me they’ve left.”

“Where did they go to?”

“According to the CIA, Barnes is hiding out in Romania. Bucharest. They got a tip this afternoon. Chances are Steve may have found out about it.”

Coulson sighed. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been looking for Bucky for months without a trace. “So when Steve called you, what did he say?”

Natasha sighed. The reception was kind of spotty and Coulson heard her breaking out. “Steve says that he’s the person least likely to be killed if Bucky really is behind all of this--as if!”

“Calm down, Natasha. Steve is trying to do his best to help his friend. And you know he doesn’t trust the authorities anywhere near him.”

“Yes, well, there’s something else you should know,” said Natasha. She swallowed. “King T’chacka of Wakanda is dead. He was killed in the blast earlier today.”

“Yes, of course, the news reported that. What about his son T'challa? They’re saying no one has heard from him.”

“That’s because T’challa wants revenge,” said Natasha flatly. “He told me himself, he’s going after Barnes and nobody is going to tell him no.”

“Right. And Steve Rogers is going to do the exact same thing. Do you have any idea how this is not going to end up being a diplomatic disaster?”

“I haven’t the foggiest. Stark is sending Rhodes to Bucharest tonight. And of course the police down there are going to be after him.”

“So it’s just a matter of who finds him first.”

“I doubt it will make much of a difference,” said Natasha. 

“Well, thanks for letting me know all of this,” said Coulson. “Keep in touch.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” said Natasha.

“All right. Good luck.”

 

Tempe, Arizona

Director Coulson spent the afternoon in long conference calls with the heads of the different S.H.I.E.L.D. stations across the U.S., including Agent Parsons at Tempe. Afterward, Parsons informed his staff that he would like to have a team meeting right after lunch.

Agent Cory Swill spent the lunch hour in the staff breakroom reading news articles and opinion pieces about the Sokovia accords and the Vienna bombings on his smartphone while he ate a sandwich. He was the first of the team to enter the conference room, and he sat down at the table to continue to read. A torrent of content had flooded the net since the Accords had been announced to the public and was still multiplying. Swill was eager to read everything he could find on the subject, from every angle. 

Marcie Johnson and Dave Kearns were the next to enter the conference room.

“Hello,” said Marcie.

“Swill, whatcha readin’ there?” asked Kearns. 

“Oh, just someone’s long-winded opinion piece about the Accords,” said Swill. He tapped out of the page. 

“Well, does anyone on the web know more about what’s going on than the Avengers do?” said Kearns, who pulled up a chair beside Swill. Marcie took the seat across the table from them.

“They sure don’t know more than we do,” said Swill. 

“That’s why I hate reading opinions on the internet,” said Marcie. “Most of them just aren’t that well-informed. I mean, yes, I’m a little biased because I work for an intelligence organization,” she chuckled, “but nobody really does their homework. I do enjoy reading, every so often, a piece from someone who does know what they’re talking about, but it’s not very often the case, sadly. And sadly most of the time I can’t chime in when I really want to.”

Kearns laughed. “I know that feeling.”

Swill did to, but he didn’t say anything. He looked up at his co-workers.

“So what do you guys think? Will the Accords do any good?”

“I don’t know,” said Kearns. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I think they’ll only work as long as Captain America and his team agree to abide by them,” said Marcie. 

“Do you think they will?” Swill asked. 

“I can hope so,” said Marcie. “Even after the bombing, they still have the force of law. Captain Rogers is a great guy, we’ve met him. I think there’s reason to hope that Rogers will understand that this is a good idea. But I don’t know after today. He doesn’t have his priorities straight. I want to say that he’s acting selfish, even though I know that does sound a little harsh. But he has been acting selfish. Especially in regards to his ‘friend’.”

“Uh-huh,” Swill nodded. He looked over at Kearns. “But what do you think? Are the Sokovia Accords a good idea?”

“I think they’re long overdue,” said Kearns. 

“Really? Now that’s surprising, because you’re not a fan of Tony Stark. Or Thunderbird Ross, for that matter.”

“I’m not. In fact, I think they were poor candidates to bring this about in the first place. But I think it’s time that somebody stood up to Captain America. He thinks he can do whatever he wants and just get away with it, and that’s neither fair nor right in my book.”

“Yes, but doesn’t Captain America usually make the right calls? About Hydra, for instance?”

“True, he was right on that occasion,” said Marcie. “But his actions ended up costing hundreds--pfft, thousands of lives, and billions of dollars in damages. Don’t you think by this point that he’s done enough?”

“I dunno, but a lot of those damages were caused by circumstances beyond his control,” said Swill. “Captain America does have principles. Don’t those include doing whatever it takes to get the job done?”

“Well, I think he’s lost that privilege,” said Kearns stiffly. 

Marcie sighed. “I hope at least Stark convinced him to see reason.” 

“I can’t imagine that Cap would have taken this lying down, even from Stark,” said Swill. “In fact I’m not sure I like Stark being involved with the government.”

“Well, Stark feels bad after what happened in Sokovia,” said Marcie. “Quite a bit of the Ultron mess was his responsibility. And now he’s trying to make up for it. He genuinely wants to do the right thing. He wants to help.” 

“Well, so does Cap,” said Swill. “But government stuff and politics--it’s all talk. It doesn’t do anything. Captain Rogers, he gets in there and he actually does something about the problem. Tell me how that isn’t helping?”

Their coworker Jonathan Clay entered the conference room. “What, is the meeting starting without me?” he asked, grinning at his friends. 

“Did you enjoy your lunch break?” asked Marcie.

“Yes I did.”

“You got something you’d like to contribute to the discussion?” Kearns asked him. “Swill here thinks the Accords are a bad idea.”

“Oh really? That’s too bad,” said Clay, sitting down at the table next to Marcie. “Is it your personal biases, Swill? Are you just another Cap fanboy who thinks Rogers is being treated unfairly?” 

“I have good reasons behind my arguments,” said Agent Swill. 

“Oh. And do those include a personal dislike of Tony Stark and ex-General Ross?”

“Clay, you know me, I’m a big fan of Iron Man. He’s done some amazing stuff,” said Swill. “But he’s not infallible. You know that.”

“And Cap is?” 

“I didn’t say he was, but look,” Swill placed his hands on the table and gestured as he spoke, “Back in the day, Tony Stark did the exact same thing that Cap is being accused of now. He saw that there was a problem and he fixed it. He realized that the law wasn’t helping and he took it into his own hands. That’s why he’s a hero. That’s why he’s Iron Man.”

“Well, that’s what he’s trying to do now,” said Kearns. “Except now he’s cooperating with the government. How is that not a good thing?”

“Well, back in the day, Stark opposed the government interfering with his work. He didn’t trust them telling him what to do. And he was a huge critic of Ross to boot. What happened?” 

“He came to his senses,” said Clay.

“He came to his--get out of here!” Swill lashed at him.

“Cory, I told you, he feels guilty,” said Marcie. “His responsibility for his actions has finally caught up to him. Cut him some slack.”

“What, because the press told him to feel guilty about it? Gimme a break.” Swill looked at Marcie in disbelief.

“I’ll give you a break if you’ll just shut up and listen to me,” said Agent Kearns. He took off his glasses and cleaned them. “I don’t trust Ross either, but Tony Stark has to have people who are willing to help him fix things. Stark’s only trying to do what he thinks is right. And for once he cares about how he does it. Honestly, Cory, how many times do we have to tell you?”

Agent Rebecca Mikkelson entered the room, but the others paid little attention to her. She stood in the corner and watched the other agents talk.

“Yeah, but if he thinks Cap is just as responsible as he is for what’s been happening--which, by you guys’ arguments, he is--then why doesn’t he get Cap’s opinion on this?” asked Clay.

“Hm, that does make sense,” said Kearns, rubbing his chin.

“Because Cap never listens to him,” Rebecca spoke up, meandering toward the table. “If there’s anything Captain America failed to do after getting off the ice, it was learn to trust people. Why do you think Ultron happened? Because no one else on that team would’ve let Tony try to find a permanent solution.”

“Yeah, that is a good point,” said Agent Swill, “but--”

“The point is, Cap is a hypocrite,” said Clay. “All this big talk about freedom and individual rights--just an excuse to do whatever he wants. He likes to fight for no reason. Hydra is nowhere near as big as he thinks--it’s his PTSD.”

“Now listen up, Clay, let’s make one thing clear!” Swill said, standing up. “Hydra is the issue here. We know what’s at stake, we’ve fought them. And Cap knows it, too. If he lets Hydra get out of control, they’ll take over the world the moment he turns his back--or gets his hands tied.”

“Swill, sit down!” said Kearns. Agent Swill resumed his seat.

“Cory, sometimes the good guys are just as destructive as the bad ones are,” said Marcie. “Remember when the Hulk got loose in Africa?”

“That was an accident--”

Marcie cut him off. “The only thing keeping the Avengers from wreaking havoc on the world is their decision to protect it--but even then, they aren’t in control of the consequences. And Captain Rogers is so obsessed with destroying Hydra that he overreacts to every kind of threat. He’s paranoid.”

“That’s strong words coming from you, Marce,” said Swill. “I thought you understood what Cap was up against.”

“I do, but I don’t think--”

“Think what? That Captain America should be allowed to protect mankind from an evil force that would enslave it?”

“I was going to say that if Cap and the Avengers want to protect the world then they shouldn’t do it alone. Not without rules.”

“Swill, she’s right,” said Rebecca. “It’s high time that the government did something to regulate superheroes. In fact, they need to do more. Maybe it’s best that one of the people pushing for the Accords is a superhero. Tony Stark knows what he’s doing.”

“And Steve Rogers doesn’t?” said Swill, bristling. “Are you saying that Cap didn’t know what he was doing when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, when Sokovia happened, when him and the Avengers had the fate of the world in their hands multiple times?” 

“No, but I think Steve would be wrong to not agree to what needs to be changed.” 

“Yeah, well, none of the bad stuff that happened was his fault,” Swill stated.

“Oh really? Well, how about the Winter Soldier?” asked Agent Kearns. “Cap thought he was doing his old buddy a favor turning him loose from Hydra. Now look what’s happened. And look what’s happened to us.”

“Dave, Steve had nothing to do with what happened here last March, you know that. That was all Hydra.”

“Well, wouldn’t it have helped if Hillary Tanner had just told us that she was letting Barnes stay at her house?” said Agent Clay.

Swill nodded but looked at Clay skeptically. “It might’ve yeah, but--”

“So you’re defending her, then?” Clay snapped.

“I didn’t say I was --” 

“But you’re defending Cap, too, for wanting to protect him, then?” said Kearns.

“We don’t know if Barnes is actually guilty this time around, okay? Him staying with the Tanners last March is a completely different issue, I thought you guys were over it.” Swill leaned back in his swivel chair. “Yeesh. But as for what’s currently happening: we don’t know all the details, but I think the ex-Winter Soldier is being treated unfairly.”

“Hillary fricking lied to us, Cory,” said Agent Clay. “She lied to our faces. And that nearly cost us our lives.” 

“Well, should she get so much flack for trying to help someone in need? Should Steve? Should anyone?” Swill shrugged.

Clay gave him a look. “You really buy into the bullcrap that Barnes is innocent?”

“I don’t think he’s innocent,” said Swill. “I think he’s less guilty than they’re making him out to be. Nobody believes Cap saying that Hydra is a threat, so they found a scapegoat.”

“We had this discussion a while back while discussing gun control, Swill,” said Marcie. “The Winter Soldier needs help, but that doesn’t mean he should get a free pass on doing whatever he wants. And no one should get a free pass for helping him. Including Captain America.”

Agent Parsons entered the room as Marcie had finished speaking. Everyone looked up at him. 

“Please continue your discussion, agents,” he said as he walked around to the head of the table. “It’s very entertaining.” 

Swill looked back at Marcie and Clay and leaned forward to address them. “So as I was saying, the government thinks it has the sole right to prosecute Barnes. But they don’t know what he’s been through. They don’t understand.”

“Well, I think they’re perfectly aware of his case--” Rebecca said.

“Yes, but who would you want helping you in that situation?” Swill snapped at her. “Someone who knows and loves you and is genuinely concerned? Or a tribunal that only sees the red in your ledger?”

Rebecca folded her arms. “At least a government tribunal sees the truth!”

“We don’t know the truth!”

“We have the facts! He’s guilty. And anyone who’s trying to make excuses for him shouldn’t be trusted.” 

“I’m NOT saying Bucky Barnes is an innocent wallflower,” said Swill. “He never was, even before--” 

“So you admit he’s not innocent?” said Clay.

“I didn’t admit anything! But why aren’t they giving him the benefit of a doubt?”

“Giving Barnes the benefit of a doubt is a risk they can’t afford to take,” said Kearns. “That guy is dangerous. And even if he wasn’t guilty of his own crimes--”

“Which he is not--”

“Let me talk, even if he wasn’t, he’s still the Captain’s friend, and Cap is still mistakenly convinced of his innocence and he would go to any lengths to protect him, not short of destroying the world and/or fighting Tony Stark--”

“Ludicrous,” said Marcie, “even Cap wouldn’t go that far.”

“I beg to differ,” said Kearns. “Do you see what he did to S.H.I.E.L.D.? I had friends on that helicarrier. Hear me out on this, the fact still remains that the Winter Soldier is the world’s most dangerous assassin and he needs to be controlled whether or not Cap likes it.”

“Well, are they going to treat him fairly?” said Swill, a condescending lilt in his voice.

“Within the parameters of the Sokovia Accords, yes,” said Marcie. 

“Those Accords are not fair,” Swill said to her.

“Do they need to be?” said Clay. “Cap hasn’t been playing fair. And it’s not fair to assume that his best friend isn’t dangerous.”

“Well, he lived with Agent Tanner and her family for four months and he never harmed them,” Swill pointed out.

“Debatable,” said Kearns.

“And remember when Hillary took on the Free Range Party? He was on our side in that fight,” said Swill.

“The Winter Soldier isn’t on anyone’s side but his own,” said Clay. “Unless, of course, he’s still on Hydra’s team, which isn’t a hundred percent unlikely.”

Swill struggled to speak for a moment, and then burst out, “Do you DARE--”

“Swill, calm down,” said Kearns, grabbing his shoulder. 

Clay continued, “They controlled him for seventy years, he’s not gonna shake that off overnight, and no amount of love and pampering from the Tanners could have fixed that.”

“I dunno, Jonathan,” said Kearns. “I might have to disagree on that one--or have you not had Jo Tanner’s cooking?”

“Very funny, Kearns,” said Clay. 

“We don’t know what state his mind is in,” said Swill. “We can’t pass judgment on that. But Hillary trusted him, and he’s practically a member of their family now. I don’t think -- “

“Just how close were you and Agent Tanner when she worked here?” asked Clay.

“I never said--”

“She’s just as bad as Cap, Swill,” said Clay. “She lies to us and then she expects us to believe her excuses.”

“She never--”

“Stop defending her, for crying out loud,” said Clay, thumping the table with his hand. “She abused S.H.I.E.L.D. resources to hide him here!”

“I took a bullet for him!” Swill said, almost yelling. He jumped out of his seat.

“So did I!” Clay said, also jumping up.

“You wanna see mine?” said Swill.

“ENOUGH!” Agent Parsons shrieked. Everyone paused. “This was already getting plenty personal, without having to accuse one of our own.” Parsons cussed and rubbed his forehead. “Have a little decency, all of you.” The agents looked at him, abashed.

“Now sit down, that’s right, no more talking. Take a few deep breaths. Let’s put our negative feelings aside.”

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sat down at the conference table and looked at their leader. 

“Now, I don’t want to hear any more about the Winter Soldier, okay? Yes, I do still harbor some resentment towards Agent Tanner. I’d be an idiot if I wasn’t mad at her for trying to pull that off. So I know how you feel. But it’s water under the bridge. Right now we need to deal with the issue at hand, and the issue at hand is how the Sokovia Accords are going to affect our work here. So if you have any more personal issues, please take them outside. Are we good?”

No one answered Parsons.

“Good,” said Parsons, folding his hands in front of him. “Now, Director Coulson has forwarded me a memo regarding the clauses of the Sokovia Accords that pertain to S.H.I.E.L.D.. S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer directly allowed to fight superhumans or to work with them. So if Hydra decided to unleash their supernatural agents against us sometime, we would have to petition the UN for assistance. Chances are they would still say yes. But in the meantime, the Avengers are in a difficult state. They do not agree on whether or not to abide by the Accords. So until the UN panel has approved superheroes to send out, if Hydra, heaven forbid, decides to unleash all of its powers on us, we are on our own. We could handle their bombs and guns well enough, but we know they have superhumans working for them--the Spectre, for one.”

“What about the tentacle guy?” asked Agent Clay.

“Hugh Morris? He is still in a secure prison in California, for the time being. But those are the two we know about.”

“So boss, are you saying that Hydra could attack us while the Avengers are still deciding on the Accords?”

“I am saying we should not ignore that possibility,” said Parsons. “Considering our proximity to Hydra’s newest secret base in Mexico, and their history of being drawn to valuable mineral resources within our state, we should be attentive. Now, I have important assignments for each of you in this regard.” He looked around the table at his agents. “Agent Kearns, I want you to get a hold of the state highway patrol. I want them watching for unusual activity. Tell them to be ready for an emergency.”

“Yes, sir,” said Kearns, nodding.

“Marcie, I want you to talk to the state and federal authorities about securing the nuclear plant in Tonopah and any mines or possible mines of radioactive minerals. And tell them to secure the eurekaite deposits as well--just because the Accords have banned eurekaite doesn’t mean the baddies aren’t going to go after them.”

“I can do that,” Marcie said, nodding. 

“Agent Clay, I would like you to address our concerns to each of the military bases in the state. I want all of them on high alert.”

“And if they ask me why?” asked Clay.

“Tell them with the bombing in Vienna I am more concerned about potential terrorist activities--that’s the long and short of it. And Swill, I need you to make sure that all of the prisons where our known Hydra antagonists are kept are secure--in the state and out of it.”

“You’ve got it,” said Swill. 

“Got anything for me to do, boss?” asked Rebecca.

Parsons shrugged. “Help everyone out as they need it.”

“How long should these extra security measures be in place?” asked Swill.

“Until the Winter Soldier is captured, or until whoever was controlling him is taken into custody--if he was not acting of his own will. And until we have an Avengers team that abides by the Sokovia Accords that can guarantee the world’s security.” Parsons wrung his hands. “I am not going to keep my views a secret from you: I support the Accords, but with a grain of salt. If the Avengers want to protect the world, they need guidelines for doing so so that they can work in the best interests of civilian populations and governments. But that’s only going to happen if the Avengers agree to keep the rules. And the enemies of freedom, on the other hand will never respect the rule of law. This period of transition will be dangerous--the bombings today have proven that. I’m not religious or spiritual or anything like that, but I just have a feeling that we need to stay wary. And, although I do not approve of Captain Rogers’ actions, I have a lot of respect for the advice he gave us last December: our office in particular has been instrumental in stopping Hydra. We must continue the fight. If they come back, we will do what it takes to stop them. And whatever force that arises to threaten us, we should remember that it is for our families and loved ones that we are fighting.”


	5. Tough Love

Washington, D.C.

Agent Parsons of the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. office was interviewed by the local news that evening for more information as well as insight about the Sokovia Accords. Hillary watched the video the following morning from her office in D.C.. She wasn’t surprised that Parsons favored the Accords. But she was a little alarmed at his vigilant stance in protecting Arizona until the Accords were more stable. She had half a mind to send him an email or call him to make sure he wasn’t simply alarmed out of his wits by the Vienna bombing--which it seemed like half of the world was.

When the interviewer asked Parsons about the Winter Soldier, Parsons said only that he had been missing for two years and no one had been able to find him up until now. Hillary thought he looked like he was trying very hard to not burst out saying that Bucky Barnes had been living with one of his agents a year ago. 

Hillary closed the Phoenix news tab and went back to working on her report for Coulson about a S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation in Malaysia. But of course she was thinking about Bucky. This was the absolute worst time for him to turn up, and in the absolute worst way. Had he lost his grip on his mental stability after Grace had died? Had his old programming crept back in, taken over his mind once more? Or had he gone back to Hydra voluntarily and begged them to take him back?  
Right when Hillary got off work that night, she got a text from her sister Julia. 

Julia: So this Winter Soldier guy they’re talking about on the news. Is that OUR Bucky?

Hillary felt like she had no choice but to be honest. 

Hillary: It is.  
Julia: So you invited a mass murderer and an assassin to live at our house. Did you know about his record?  
Hillary: Yes.  
Hillary: Julia, we don’t know entirely what’s going on. He left Hydra two years ago. As far as I know he hasn’t relapsed. I’m not a hundred percent sure that that’s what happened here. Coulson and I are trying to find out more details but we’re not learning much. Please don’t rush to any conclusions like the press is doing. I’ll keep you and Mom & Dad posted   
Julia: I hope you’re not too stressed out. We’ll be praying for you.  
Hillary: Thanks

She had a skype call with Mark that night. She was open about her concerns to him. There wasn’t really much he could do for her, though, being a thousand miles away. 

Thursday morning, when Hillary walked into work, Coulson had some bad news for her.

“Bucky has been captured,” he told her soberly.

Hillary froze. “By who?”

“The police in Romania. But they turned him over to the CIA. The CIA got a tip that he was hiding in Bucharest,” Coulson continued as Hillary walked over to her desk. Her brain was still waking up. 

“Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers have also been arrested.”

“What?”

“They got the tip that Bucky was hiding in Bucharest. Cap was already in Europe--do you think they wouldn’t have gone after him?”

“But--why?”

“Because Cap thought if he got to Bucky first he could make sure he got help--something like that,” said Coulson, shaking his head. “But apparently they caused a lot of destruction, trying to get Bucky away from the police.”

“Really? That’s not surprising,” said Hillary, folding her arms. “Have we heard anything from them? Did Steve make any statements to the public?”

“Steve claims that Bucky told him he didn’t blow up the UN in Vienna.”

Hillary’s eyebrows went together. “Really? They actually talked?”

“Must not have been for long, but it seems they did.”

“How long ago were they captured?” 

“About four hours ago. I figured you needed your sleep.”

Hillary nodded. “Thanks, boss.”

“Not a problem.”

“So what happens to them next?”

“I’m not sure. I’m going to make a few phone calls. I haven’t heard anything for a while.”

“Where’s Hill and Fury?”

“They went to Capitol Hill to see if they could pull some strings--not that it’ll do much.”

“We’ll see.” 

Coulson shrugged and returned to his office. Hillary logged onto her computer. She had some paperwork to file, and she thought she might as well get started. She would worry about Bucky later, she told herself--but she quickly realized that work wouldn’t be much of a distraction that day.

Mitch Sorensen showed up about ten minutes later, carrying a smoothie and a half-finished bagel.

“I saw there was somethin’ happening on the news, what did I miss?” he asked Hillary.

Hillary wasn’t even sure she wanted to answer him. She let her hand hang slack on her desk and she stared blankly at her computer screen.

“What?”

“The Winter Soldier got arrested in Romania,” Agent Miles spoke up. “Along with Cap and the Falcon.”

Mitch swallowed his food hastily. “What? All three of them? No way.” 

“Yes way,” said Agent Petersen.

“Ugh, crud,” said Mitch. He knocked on Coulson’s office door. Coulson came right out and started filling him in on what had happened. Then he went back into his office to call someone else and find out what was going on in Europe. Mitch got onto his computer.

“Well, that really sucks,” said Mitch. “You must...probably be feeling really hurt right now, Hillary. Are you?”

“I feel fine,” she said quietly.

“You don’t sound like it.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Hillary, don’t lie to me, I know how much Bucky means to you.”

“Yes, but we both have work to do. Let’s do it.”

“All right, then,” Mitch said as he pulled his chair out. “But whenever you want to talk, I’m all ears.”

In between filing reports, Hillary pulled up the news to find out what she could. Coulson hadn’t been kidding when he said that Steve and Bucky had caused a lot of destruction. Apparently they had wrecked an apartment building and totaled a parking garage. There were massive casualties: fifty killed and another hundred injured, at the first count. Typical superhuman damage. But the chase had also appeared to involve someone on Bucky’s tail--a black figure that the press was calling the “Black Panther” of Wakanda. 

Mitch was also reading the news while working. 

“The press seems to think that Bucky is guilty without question,” he observed at around ten a.m. 

“And you think he’s innocent?” asked Hillary.

Mitch gave her a look. 

“What?”

“Well, here’s my beef,” said Mitch. “What’s he doing in Romania if the bombing was in Vienna? They’re not even that close, are they?” 

“Well, it’s not that hard to get between places in Europe,” said Hillary.

“True, but I still don’t think it sounds right. He’s got a clear alibi.”

“The world has been looking for him ever since Hydra came out,” Hillary told him. “They still have to pin him for his other crimes, remember?”

“But everyone knows he was brainwashed, right?”

Hillary gave Mitch a sideways glance.

Coulson came out of his office. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” he said as his two assistants turned around.

“What’s the good news?” asked Hillary.

“I was able to get a hold of somebody who knows where they’re being taken,” said Coulson. “That’s about it.”

“Who was it, then?” said Mitch.

“Tony Stark, as a matter of fact,” said Coulson. But he didn’t look too pleased about the fact. “Bucky has been placed in the custody of a CIA anti-terrorist commission based in Berlin. Cap and Wilson are being sent up with him.”

“What?” said Hillary and Mitch together.

“Exactly,” said Coulson. “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. Stark is going on behalf of Ross to see to it that Steve and Sam are punished for violating the Sokovia Accords.”

“Did Steve sign them?” asked Hillary.

“No, but they’re getting prosecuted anyway,” said Coulson. “That’s how the Accords work, apparently. Steve must’ve gone after Bucky because he felt like he had nothing to lose after not signing them.”

“Well, it turns out he lost everything,” said Mitch. “The press is calling him a fallen hero.”

“Of course. We’ll keep an eye on those internet trends today, see how the news takes all of this.”

“Oh, they’re having a field day,” said Hillary. “Captain America trying to rescue a convicted terrorist and getting arrested too? It’s making for some juicy headlines.”

“Yes--well, if you see anything in the news or any opinions that support Steve’s claim that Bucky is innocent, forward it to PR immediately.”

“You really think he is innocent?” asked Hillary.

Coulson gave her a look of astonishment. “You don’t?”

“I don’t know,” said Hillary. “Innocent men don’t run. And they don’t cause lots of destruction while escaping.”

“Desperate men do,” said Coulson. 

“Say boss,” Mitch spoke up, “who is this Black Panther guy the press keeps talking about?” Mitch scrolled a news page to show a blurry image of a feline figure running after Bucky.

“Yeah, I was wondering that too,” said Hillary. “It looks like he was trying to hurt Bucky.”

“That’s because the Black Panther is the new king of Wakanda,” said Coulson. “T’challa ascended the other day, when his father T’chaka died in the bombing in Vienna. I’ve only heard rumors about the Black Panther--although little more comes out of Wakanda than rumors. But the Panther is a mantle passed from father to son, king to king. The Wakandans have very strict traditions about honor and revenge. And no doubt T’challa loved his father.” Coulson swallowed.  
Hillary turned around in her swivel chair. “Yes, I’m sure he did,” she said, “but he has no right to be hurting Bucky--even if he is guilty. Shouldn’t somebody tell him? Can’t we just call up T’challa and tell him he’s got the wrong guy? He has to be stopped!”

“Yes I agree, but when some people get to a certain point they no longer listen,” said Coulson. “Besides, one does not simply call up the king of Wakanda to ask for a favor. He comes from a different culture, and he has different values--we owe him respect for that much.”

Hillary rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer.

Mitch took another look at the photo of the Black Panther. “Well, he’s pretty cool, you can’t argue with that.”

“Shut up,” said Hillary quietly. Coulson went back to his office.

 

Hillary worked steadily through the rest of the morning. She went out of the office building briefly during her lunch break to get a sandwich from Subway, but brought it back to eat it in the breakroom. She was savoring having the alone time when Coulson entered.

“I just got a call from Elaine,” Coulson told her, managing a faint smile. “She figured I must be having a hectic week, so she called me up to check on me.” He sat down at the table with Hillary and pulled out his homemade sandwich.

Hillary gave Coulson a small smile of her own. “That was nice of her,” said Hillary. “I’d like to call up my folks, tell them how I’m doing…” she broke off, staring into space, and then she took another bite of her meal.

“You know,” said Coulson, glancing away from her briefly, “I’m sorry about all this.”

“All what?” asked Hillary with a full mouth.

“Bucky. This isn’t how you wanted to find out where he was at, was it?” 

“No, of course not,” Hillary swallowed. 

“And, you probably feel bad. After everything you and your family did for him this must be a huge disappointment.”

Hillary looked up at Coulson. “What’s gonna happen to him?”

“I don’t know,” said Coulson. “It depends...on a lot of things. Like whether or not he is innocent in the first place, and how he responds to treatment while being investigated--and they’re not exactly being nice to him. I saw a picture on the news: they have him in a glass box, straps on his chest and arms, tied up like an animal.”

“They’re afraid of him.”

“I think mostly because they know what he’s capable of.”

“Or maybe because they don’t know,” said Hillary. “He hasn’t been a rampaging terrorist since leaving Hydra, has he?”

“No. I should think they’d have figured it out by now.”

Hillary took a few more bites of her sandwich. Coulson took a bite of his and chewed thoughtfully.

“You know, Hillary,” he said after he’d swallowed, “I’m actually kind of surprised that you have doubts about Bucky’s innocence. I thought you’d be the first one rushing to defend him.”

“Well,” said Hillary, “I just...I’ve been so worried about him, since Grace was murdered. She meant a lot to Bucky. Her dying destroyed him emotionally. I’m just worried that what if, because of what happened in Albuquerque, you know, he’s...not the guy I knew anymore.”

“You aren’t so hopeless as to believe that, are you?” asked Coulson.

“I just...I worry, sometimes. Bucky was my good friend, but the Winter Soldier...was always beneath the surface, lurking. He had to restrain himself so much. He didn’t know how to get the horrors of his past out of his head--that’s why he’d sit around all day when he lived with my folks, sit around and do nothing and avoid people. He was just too afraid--always.” 

“I see,” said Coulson. “Well, you have to remember that in the end, Hydra is to fault for his condition.”

Hillary looked up at Coulson. “Do you think Hydra could be behind the Accords?”

“The Accords? No,” said Coulson. “That would be giving them way too much credit. The Avengers have all but put Hydra out of commission forever. They don’t have the resources for that kind of a conspiracy anymore. I think Stark and Ross genuinely mean well by promoting the Accords.” Coulson thought for a moment, and then added, “But here’s an idea: what if Hydra is coming out now because of the Accords, and trying to recapture Bucky when Cap can’t help him without being penalized for it?”

“Could be,” said Hillary. “Or they could be playing the two sides against each other. Could we look into that, boss?”

“I bet we could,” said Coulson. “Except I think there’s something in the Accords themselves that states that S.H.I.E.L.D. can no longer do investigations like that into government bodies, the UN included.”

“What else is new?”

“I think S.H.I.E.L.D. could also be penalized for trying to help a convicted superhuman criminal. The CIA’s Anti-Terrorist board has the authorization for that. We don’t. I heard on the news that Bucky will be getting a psychological evaluation by the CIA when he gets to Berlin.”

“Well, that should go well, if he’s in a glass case,” said Hillary as she took the last bite of her sandwich.

“Right. I doubt they have any incentive to treat him fairly. And according to the Accords he’s not allowed to have a lawyer.”

“So he’s screwed?”

“Pretty much.” 

Hillary sighed. “I wonder if...I wonder if Steve could somehow persuade Tony Stark to help Bucky.”

Coulson sniffed. “Stark and Cap’s relationship is already on the rocks with the Accords. Ross would never allow it. Bucky Barnes needs help, but he’s not going to get it from Stark.”

Hillary smiled, looking down at the table. “Really? Because it was Stark’s father who helped Steve to rescue Bucky back in ‘43. I should think he’d be eager to follow in his father’s footsteps.”

“Stark never liked his father, remember?” 

“I’m just saying,” Hillary shrugged. She ate some of the chips she’d gotten with her lunch. She noticed Coulson looking at her.

“What?”

Coulson looked away. “It’s nothing.” He seemed sad about something. He straightened up and cleared his throat. “Anyway, Hillary, if you need me to give you some time off, to deal with the stress--”

“I’m not stressed,” she said. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I need to keep working.”

“All righty, then. But if you need time off, just let me know.” Coulson had already finished his sandwich. He dusted his face off with a napkin. “Well, I need to go. I’ll catch you later, Hillary.”

Coulson got up and left the break room. 

“Later, boss.” 

 

Provo, Utah

Cody Tanner was also eating lunch at around the same time. It was eleven a.m. in Provo, and he had a short break between classes and work in which to eat. Cody ate in the Wilkinson Center at BYU. He had a seat at a table close to a TV screen that was playing the news from CNN. The tables on the terrace were crowded, it being the height of lunch hour, but Cody was the only one paying any real attention to the television--because today’s news affected him.

The CIA had released an image of the captured Winter Soldier under guard in some kind of a holding cell, both of his arms and his chest trapped in restraints like some kind of space vehicle or roller coaster. But his face was the most painful to look at--the eyes staring ahead, sad and heavy but with a hint of a sinister, terrible anger in them. Cody told himself it wasn’t surprising that he felt upset about seeing that look: the picture of Bucky Barnes on the Tanners’ family piano was quite different. 

Cody took his eyes off the TV screen to eat during a commercial break. He’d met some of the other Avengers last fall. Captain America, of course, had been friends with Bucky before Hydra and all the brainwashing. The news reporters said that Steve claimed that Bucky was innocent--and no one was buying it. And what would he do, now that his friend was captured and going to be punished for his--or Hydra’s--crimes?

The news did mention Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, a few times. She was being blamed for an incident last month in Lagos, Nigeria, along with the rest of the Avengers, that had resulted in civilian casualties. How must she be feeling? Wanda already had enough guilt and pain to carry around in her life, Cody knew that. Now these so-called Accords were going to dictate when and where the Avengers would fight, and from the sound of things Wanda wasn’t interested in signing. Did Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson being arrested along with Bucky only compound her problems? Who knew what issues the other Avengers had, that would only get worse because of this disaster? Maybe they were the ones who needed to be left alone, Cody thought. 

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that this happened at all, given the Winter Soldier’s history. The captions on the television screen printed out the most recent crimes Bucky was accused of and the news’ reporters discussion on the matter. Cody didn’t know if he believed it--he didn’t know if he wanted to believe it. During the last few months of Cody’s mission in Germany, Bucky had come to stay with his family and even slept in his room sometimes. He’d left the day of Cody’s homecoming, but Cody had heard plenty of stories about him from his parents and his sister. Bucky was pretty much his foster brother. Seeing someone that close to him on the news, being denounced as a terrorist and a murderer--that wasn’t easy.

The evidence against him was pretty clear. There was very little chance that he wasn’t guilty. Maybe the sick feeling in Cody’s stomach was just from learning that the man that his family had given everything for had gone and blown his chance at getting his life back.

Cody wondered if his parents were watching the news, if they knew what was happening or if they’d been told. He didn’t know if he had the heart to tell them   
himself.

His sister Hillary worked for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Right now she was probably busy doing damage control for the Avengers. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. knew what was going on better than these ignorant news commentators--maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t. Maybe the truth was beyond anyone’s guess at that point. But Hillary had been close to Bucky, in his time with the Tanner family. She was probably worried sick. Hillary hadn’t heard anything from Bucky in months and now this had happened. This wasn’t the way Cody wanted to find out about how Bucky was doing. He hadn’t wanted this for his sister or his parents or for anyone else--much less Bucky himself. Whoever was to blame for this, however--be it the Winter Soldier or some other assailant, Cody couldn’t imagine who--Cody couldn’t do anything to change what had happened. He was taking a full load of spring classes at BYU and working at a sporting goods store. There was no place in his life for worrying about someone he’d never met.

He wanted to call Hillary and see if she knew anything different about the situation, but it was unlikely that she would answer, much less be able to tell him what was really going on. But he could see if she was all right, at the very least. When the news broke for commercials again, he pulled out his phone and sent Hillary a text: Hey, I saw on the news what happened. I hope you’re okay.

Cody gathered up his trash and left the terrace. He decided to go to the library before his work. Hillary never responded to his text that day, but it was understandable. At least, no matter what happened next, Hillary would know that Cody would be there for her.


	6. Vigil

Hillary felt uneasy when she went to bed that night, and when she awoke Friday morning she felt, if anything, worse. She was not looking forward to going to work and finding out what the CIA was doing to Steve and Bucky. And the thought of someone she loved in a cage like that, with those kinds of restraints...it was a burden, but she squared her shoulders and carried it.

When she arrived at work shortly after nine, she entered the director’s suite to find the room mostly empty. Mitch had already arrived, and he was talking in one corner with Coulson, Fury, and Maria Hill.

“I knew something like this would happen when Barnes showed his face again,” she heard Fury saying as she entered.

“Like what?” Hillary asked. “What did I miss?”

They all looked at her with stony faces. 

“What happened?” Hillary asked.

“Hillary...there’s been an incident at the CIA headquarters in Berlin,” said Coulson finally. “The psychologist came to give Bucky an evaluation. During the interview there was a power outage. That or something else must have triggered him. Bucky went on a rampage and killed thirty people. Injured dozens more, including Tony Stark.” Coulson’s voice became quieter as he spoke, and he barely moved his lips to speak. 

Hillary didn’t know how to respond. “Why?” was the first word she could manage.

“We don’t know,” said Maria. “But something must have brought out his Winter Soldier programming, it’s the only explanation.”

“But...I thought he was doing better.”

“We all thought he was,” said Coulson sadly.

“You say he injured Stark. Is he all right?”

“Yes, but in a bad temper,” said Coulson.

“And Ross wants Barnes’ head on a platter,” added Nick Fury. “Rogers and Wilson too. They’ve both disappeared.”

“Escaped, more like,” said Maria.

“Huh?”

“There was surveillance video that caught Barnes trying to escape in a helicopter,” said Maria. Cap went after him, of course, and he somehow managed to down that thing. They both fell into the river below. It’s highly unlikely that either of them drowned.”

“So if Wilson went to join them,” said Mitch, “then he and Rogers are probably both planning to keep Bucky out of the law’s reach for good.”

“And what is Stark going to do about it?” asked Hillary.

“From the looks of things,” said Coulson, his suit rustling as he shifted, “Stark is going to go after them.”

“Stark and everyone else who signed the Accords,” said Fury. “I’m kind of mad, actually, that the Accords have reduced the Avengers to little more than a police force.”

“No kidding,” said Coulson. “But now it seems that Captain America has chosen his best friend over everything else.” Coulson folded his arms: he was not happy about it.

“Well, why shouldn’t he?” said Hillary. “You know how they’ve been treating Bucky--Hydra used him! They brainwashed him! He hasn’t done anything wrong--”

“Up until this morning, apparently,” Mitch cut her off. 

Hillary turned on Coulson. “How long ago was this?” she asked.

“About an hour ago I got a call from Sharon Carter,” said Coulson. “But of course it’s all over the news now.”

“Then why didn’t you call me in?” said Hillary. “Didn’t I have the right to know?”

“Fury advised against it, and I thought it best to spare you from any more pain--”

“Leave me out of this,” Fury commented.

“Spare me?” said Hillary. 

“Hillary, we don’t know all of the details,” said Coulson, gesturing in the air. “It may have just been a response to the psychologist, it may have been the power outage, or he may have just finally lost his temper.”

“But he never did this to my family!” Hillary protested. “He never did this to anyone while he lived in Mesa. I swear, I don’t know what may have caused this.”

“I don’t know either,” said Coulson. “But the fact remains that he’s...not completely healed. Not as much as you thought he was.”

“Well, what are we gonna do?” asked Hillary. “I mean, I assumed, since you just told me, that we’re going to do something.”

“Do? We can’t do anything, Tanner,” said Maria.

“Of course we can. This is S.H.I.E.L.D.. It’s our job to respond when disasters like this happen.”

“Yes, but you’re forgetting the Accords have our hands tied now,” said Fury. “We aren’t supposed to assist superhumans anymore, or fight them.”

“I didn’t say we were going to hurt anyone,” said Hillary, backing away. “But we need to at least find out what’s going on. We have the resources, we have the people trained to deal with this sort of thing.”

“What are you suggesting we do?” asked Mitch.

“Find Steve and Bucky and Wilson,” said Hillary. “Keep them safe. Try to get them to reconcile with Stark.”

“No we can’t, Hillary,” said Coulson. 

“Somebody has to do something,” said Hillary. “The CIA and whoever else is working for the UN are in Ross’s pocket--you said so yourself. They’re only going to see Stark’s side of things.”

“Are you suggesting that we challenge the authority of a higher government power?” Fury asked, raising his voice.

“Somebody has to,” said Hillary. “Better us than Steve all by himself. He’s already in trouble for trying to protect Bucky.”

“Agent Tanner, are you as crazy about Barnes as Cap is?” Fury asked her.

“I sure feel like it sometimes,” said Hillary. 

“Hillary, I know how you feel about Bucky, but please, put your personal feelings aside for a moment,” said Mitch. “Brainwashed or not, he’s still a threat. Or at least, I don’t blame anyone for holding him responsible. He has to pay for his crimes. So does Steve. ”

“A threat? Excuse me!” said Hillary. “But didn’t Bucky save your life about a year ago?”

“Yeah, but he nearly killed about six suspects in the process,” Mitch said glaring at her. “I’m just saying--even if he is your friend, it might not be a good idea to defend him.”

Hillary glared back. “You ungrateful--!”

Coulson stepped between Hillary and Mitch and pushed them further apart. “Now, Hillary, Mitch, please, try to keep your voices even. We’re still friends, right? This is a stressful situation for all of us. Hillary, I would like to go over to Germany and help, but by the time we got over there--” 

“They could be in a position for us to help them. Stark, too.”

“They could be in a much worse situation,” said Coulson. 

“It’s worth a shot! We have to help them!” Hillary said. 

“We don’t know how it’s going to play out, Hillary. Just relax,” Coulson pleaded.

“Well, what’s the worst-case scenario? Everyone goes to jail forever?”

“That’s more likely to be the best-case scenario, at this rate,” said Fury. “Stark will pull out all of the stops to find them--and he’ll fight them, if he has to.”

“Fight them?” said Hillary, standing up straight. “Iron Man, fighting Captain America? Are you insane?”

“Stark and Rogers have been butting heads for as long as I’ve known them,” said Maria. “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. If he wants to protect Bucky, he might not have any other choice.”

“And Stark might not have any other choice, if he wants to keep his end of the (swearword) deal with Ross,” said Fury. Hillary winced at the curse word.

“So they both think they’re in the right, what else is new?” said Mitch.

“It might be just as personal for Stark as it is for Steve,” said Coulson, shifting uncomfortably in his leaning position against a random cubicle. “A Hydra agent that we captured a few months ago claimed he used to be a handler for the Winter Soldier--and among other missions, he revealed that a death that S.H.I.E.L.D. had ruled as an accident a long time ago was actually a murder.”

“Whose death?” asked Maria. This was news to her.

“Who do you think? Howard and Maria Stark.”

Maria clasped her hand over her mouth. Fury swore quietly after a moment. Mitch rubbed his eyes.

“You don’t even know if that’s true,” said Hillary in a shaky voice.

“Yes, but there’s no way of knowing if Stark knows about it--or if he believes it. Stark hasn’t been the same since Sokovia,” said Coulson, looking at the ground. “I’ve only seen him a couple of times, but those closest to him are worried for him. He’s pretty much put his relationship with Pepper on hold. He wants to protect the other Avengers from the world’s criticism, but he can’t do that without asking them to defer to a higher authority, and they’re balking at his every move. He blames himself for all the destruction they’ve caused. He would do anything to make things right. And Rogers? Well, I doubt he’s ever going to let Bucky out of his sight again.” 

“So that’s it, then,” Hillary said. “They’re screwed. Don’t you see? We have to help them before this gets out of hand!”

“Agent Tanner, I wish you’d shut your (swearword) mouth!” said Fury. “You know why we can’t go over there. And even if the Accords allowed it, it won’t do any good at all.”

“Sir, you may want to calm down just a little,” said Coulson. “Hillary, S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot legally interfere with this. Captain America has gone against the law. S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot protect him or Bucky from the consequences of breaking the law.”

“Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D. does illegal stuff all the time--” Hillary spoke up.

“But not like this!” said Coulson. “This is exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D. is not supposed to do. We can’t harbor fugitives or go against the government.”

“But Agent Parsons said to me last year that if I had told S.H.I.E.L.D. where Bucky was they could have protected him.”

“You were the one harboring him illegally!” Fury shouted. He swore again. “Don’t you get it? Even if it makes sense for S.H.I.E.L.D. to act, it wouldn’t make sense for the people who hold us accountable--the state department, homeland security, the UN, and on and on--if we go help them, we go down with them. We sit and watch, we let things play out, maybe for once Stark and Rogers will come to their (swearword) senses.”

“You know that’s not going to happen unless somebody makes them listen!” Hillary retorted.

“Yes, well, that’s (swearword) well not going to happen, and you know it!” Fury said, staring down at Hillary. Hillary stared back defiantly.

“I’m afraid he’s right, Hillary,” Coulson said. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“But do you really want to do nothing?” Hillary shouted in Coulson’s face. “Can you--can either of you just allow this to happen? We have to stop this!”

Nick Fury glared at Hillary with his good eye and folded his arms. He shook his head. 

“Do you really think any of the Avengers would listen to you, if you did reason with them? Even Rogers? Even Barnes?”

“I’m sorry,” said Hillary finally. She began to walk away from them. “I can’t take no for an answer.”

“Hillary, you get back here, now!” Coulson lunged and grabbed her by the arms. Hillary tried to wrestle herself out of his grip. Nick Fury came up from behind to restrain her.

“No, you guys can’t do this! I’m not going to sit here and watch while my friends kill each other!” Hillary squirmed herself away and ran for the door to the suite. She fully expected someone to follow her out and try to stop her, but she opened the door and went out into the hall without anyone following.

She stopped. Fury and Coulson were right. There really wasn’t anything she could do.

She collapsed on the ground and wept openly, loudly. That hadn’t been going on for very long when the door behind her opened with a squeak. Coulson knelt down on the ground beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

She wiped her eyes on her hands--she had put on makeup that morning, and of course now it was a mess.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Hey--come here.” Coulson pulled her close and held her. It then occurred to Hillary just how infrequently she hugged her boss. True, it was a work relationship and they needed to be professional. But he was also her friend and her mentor and he cared about her. They didn’t have the chance to share that. As Coulson patted her back, Hillary felt an overwhelming sense of comfort--Coulson had come to her side when she was in distress the way any friend of hers would have, like Mark or Cody or her mom or Bucky--

Bucky.

She started sobbing again. Was there any hope for him?

“I think we’re all a little high-strung, with everything that’s happening,” said Coulson. “It’s okay.”

Hillary pulled her face off Coulson’s shoulder. She sniffed.

“Would you like the rest of the day off?”

“I just barely got here.”

“But you’ve been stressing out for days,” said Coulson. “You need a break. I think things are going to get worse before they get better--” fresh tears ran down Hillary’s face at this, “--but I don’t see any reason to give up. Not yet. I don’t see any reason we can’t have hope. You’ll see, Hillary. Things will work out. There’s a chance. If Cap is able to compromise with Stark--”

“He’s not going to, you know that,” said Hillary.

“I said ‘if’, Hillary, ‘if’. You’ve got to hope for the best. And if things don’t work out, well, maybe it’s not the end of the world. You still have your family and friends. You and Mark are going to be getting married here pretty soon, aren’t you? You’ve got that to look forward to--when are you two thinking of getting married, by the way?”

Hillary shook her head and gave Coulson a weak smile. “We’re not sure--sometime before the end of the summer, we hope.”

Coulson patted her shoulder. “That’s right. This is Steve’s problem now. You let him take care of it, and we’ll deal with the consequences later. Can you do that for me?”

Hillary nodded quickly.

“Good. Now go home and...just relax. Get some rest, please. And don’t worry about anything else.” Coulson helped her to her feet. “The next few days are going to be a disaster. You’re going to need your energy.”

“Right, sir,” said Hillary. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.”

Hillary went to the restroom to wash off her face. Coulson, meanwhile, returned to the director’s suite. 

“Mitch, you can tell my staff to come back up now,” Coulson instructed him.

“Right away, sir,” said Mitch. Mitch went to the PA system and made the announcement. 

Hillary came back to the suite as the other members of the director’s staff were returning. A few people from other departments came with their petitions for Coulson as well--including Cameron Klein from surveillance. 

“Klein, have our satellites found anything in Berlin?” Coulson asked him.

“No, sir,” said Klein. He looked worried. “Europe has lots of big cities--lots of places to hide. And of course if Barnes has been living there for a while he’d know his way around.”

“What about Stark? Do we have any notion of what he’s up to?”

“No, sir, it doesn’t look like there’s anything going on with the CIA.”

“Very well.” Coulson broke off to talk to another visiting agent, but Klein interrupted him.

“Ross’s new prison facility is complete, sir,” Klein said, a tremor in his voice.

“That was fast,” said Coulson. “Where is it?”

“We’ve got eyes on it in the North Sea. We can’t pin the exact location, sir--it has a security field that throws off interference.”

“Lock in on the source of the interference, then. I want to know if anything goes in or out of there.”

“Right, sir,” said Klein. He turned quickly and left the suite. 

Agent Blaine from Ground Intel was the next to report to Coulson.

“Our office in Berlin called in a few minutes ago,” said Blaine. “We’re still searching the area around the CIA headquarters but we haven’t found anything yet.”

“What’s going on inside?” asked Coulson.

“People are licking their wounds, mostly. Everett Ross of the CIA is trying to organize a search.”

“What about Stark?”

“No idea.”

“Well, try and find out what he’s up to,” said Coulson. “I need to keep an eye on this situation before it gets out of hand.”

“We’ll try, sir.” Blaine turned and left.

Coulson looked around at the staff in his suite. “Does anybody know what’s going on in Berlin?” 

A few people shook their heads in response.

Coulson rubbed his head and swore, and he went to his office.

Hillary had gotten on her work computer to take care of something. She looked over at Mitch as she was logging off--he was ignoring her.

She stood up and put her purse on her shoulder.

“Mitch.”

“Hm?” Mitch looked up at her warily.

“I’m sorry--about earlier.”

“It’s okay,” said Mitch. “I understand that you’re worried.”

“I am trying to see your point of view on this, I really am,” said Hillary. 

“I know you’re upset about Bucky,” said Mitch. “Yeah, he’s a cool guy, but he’s still dangerous. You know that.”

Hillary didn’t respond.

Mitch took a breath. “I don’t think...I don’t think people with superpowers should be allowed to go around and do whatever they want. They don’t need limitations or rules, just guidelines--reasonable guidelines. I don’t a hundred percent agree with the Accords, either, but it’s the law now. We have to support it.”

“I know.”

“And if Steve feels like breaking the law, well...that’s his problem.” Mitch shrugged and went back to his work.

Hillary didn’t like seeing this side of Mitch. 

“Well...goodbye for now,” she said to him.

“See ya.” He didn’t even look up at her. Hillary turned and left. 

 

Hillary stopped at a convenience store on the way home to buy several bars of chocolate, tissues, and a case of Diet Coke. But the first thing she did when she got home was let herself have a good cry. 

Then around noon her phone went off. It was a text--from Wanda Maximoff.

Wanda: Have you seen the news today?

Hillary: Yes. I have. I’m heartbroken. How could he do such a thing?

Wanda: I don’t know. I can’t get a hold of Steve.

Hillary: Hill figures someone must have triggered his Winter Soldier programming. But even then I don’t feel better about that.

Wanda: I’ve heard the Accords won’t allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to intervene.

Hillary: They won’t. I have to just sit and watch. Remember those nightmares you were having about Bucky around Christmas?

Wanda: Yes. This is probably what they were foreshadowing.

Hillary: You know you were probably right, we should’ve said something to Steve.

Wanda: Would that have prevented this from happening?

Hillary: IDK.

Wanda: It’s been my experience, though, if we give people bad news, they isolate themselves from us. I think it was important to have Steve’s trust. You made the right call.

Hillary: How are you doing?

Wanda: I’m fine.

Hillary: Just fine?

Wanda: Yes--okay, I’ll tell you, Stark has ordered me to stay at the Avengers compound until further notice.

Hillary: Because you didn’t sign the accords?

Wanda: Because I’m a threat. People are afraid of me.

Hillary: Are you with anyone?

Wanda: the other staff have been dismissed until further notice. Vision is here to keep me company. I’ve got plenty to distract myself with. 

Hillary: You sound lonely. Dang, girl, I wish I could go up there and be with you.

Wanda: That’s very kind of you, but I’ll be fine

Hillary: You never struck me as the kind of girl who was happy staying in one place for too long. 

Wanda: There’s nothing I can do about it. If I leave, the authorities will send me right back. Times like this I really miss Pietro.

Hillary: I hear you. *hugs*

 

Hillary took a nap. Things were getting really out of control. Wanda was under house arrest just because people were afraid of her. Bucky was on the run again--just because people were afraid of him. The world had turned against Captain America, because he refused to sign the Accords.

When did the world become such an awful place where people didn’t trust each other because of their differences? she thought. Oh, wait, it’s always been that way.

That evening, Hillary called her mother. There was a definite sadness in her mother’s voice. Hillary was sorry that she couldn’t tell her mother more about the situation in Germany. Even if Bucky’s episode was Hydra’s fault, it was small comfort.

“Sometimes,” Hillary said, “I wish...I wish I’d never let him in our back door.”

“No, don’t say that,” said Jo.

“I do. It seemed like everything was fine until then. Sometimes I even wonder why I joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. I’d love to quit, you know? I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

“Now, Hillary,” Jo said firmly, “if everyone quit when the going got tough, then everyone would be unemployed.You don’t need to talk like that. You don’t need to think like that. Working for S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a great experience for you. You’ve helped so many people--think of that. Think of the difference you’ve been able to make. I’m so proud of you.” 

“What about Bucky?” asked Hillary. “Even after all we did for him he’s still making bad choices.”

Jo sighed. “It seems like that, doesn’t it? But, it doesn’t matter. He came into our lives--he was a great blessing for all of us. Just because he isn’t the person you thought he was doesn’t mean that none of that matters. You did your part to help him. Let Bucky worry about Bucky. You worry about you. It’s your job to help Coulson get through this.”

“What about Steve?”

“Well honey...you can’t keep him from doing what he feels is right, even if you know it’s wrong.”

“But I don’t know if Steve’s doing anything wrong,” said Hillary. “He’s trying to keep the world safe by not signing the Accords. He’s trying to keep Bucky safe. I wish I could help him, you know, but I can’t, and now I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing.”

“Then none of it matters. Let it go, sweetie.”

“Right,” said Hillary heavily. Hillary talked to her mom about her siblings and nieces and nephews. Jo lamented that Hillary wasn’t in contact with Cody that much.

Hillary also had a brief skype call with Mark that evening. After that she went to bed early, but found out quickly she could not fall asleep. She could not stop thinking about everything that was happening. The Accords, Bucky, the Black Panther, Steve going rogue. Was there a solution to any of it? When would someone finally step forward and concede their side of the argument? Who would be forced to surrender? Who would die, if it came to life and death?

At two in the morning she was still lying awake. Technically, her mother and her friends were right: the Sokovia Accords were now the law of the land--of the world, even. What was Hillary thinking, supporting Cap’s defiance of the law? 

What was Steve thinking? What did he hope to gain, by going after Bucky when it was clearly a bad idea? Could he really be so selfish, as to put aside everything else? Was no one else really going to help him?

What if Captain America is the villain here? Hillary wondered. What if the hero we thought he was no longer exists? Did he choose to be that way--or did they give him no other choice.

What if Bucky isn’t the hero I thought he was, either? What if he’s not the hero I tried to make him be? What if what happened today was his own doing? What if he’s rejected everything? What if...it’s all my fault?

Hillary sat up in bed. Did the weight of the world really rest on her shoulders, because of what she did or didn’t do for Bucky?

She climbed out of her bed and went to the window to look out at the dark city. 

Stop being so hard on yourself. It’s beyond your control now. She wondered how much she was starting to believe the world’s lies--or if there was any truth to what they were saying.


	7. Not a Laughing Matter

Coulson made everyone come in to work at least part of the day on Saturday and Sunday. Hillary was able to go to church for a little bit Sunday morning. A couple of her friends there tried to ask her what was going on, but of course she wasn’t allowed to say. Others expressed sympathy for how tired and stressed she was. She acknowledged them but didn’t interact much. She wasn’t as close to her current singles ward as she’d been during S.H.I.E.L.D. school or the months afterward when she’d lived in D.C. It wasn’t the same without Mark there to tease her. Or Sara Martin and Kristie Reyman to sit next to her. Emily Bridger had come to church with them sometimes, and Steve Rogers had even come once…

Hillary couldn’t but help thinking of the time last year when Bucky had gone to church with her family...

Captain America had dropped off the radar. The best guess the S.H.I.E.L.D. or CIA or anyone could give was that he and Bucky and Sam were still somewhere in Germany. Where they were on Monday morning was anyone’s guess.

 

But shortly after ten a.m., Coulson got a call on his personal cell phone.

“Hello?”

“Greetings, Director Coulson,” said a cool British voice.

“Oh, Vision. Hello. How are you?”

“I am well enough, for the time being,” the android Vision responded. “Tony Stark believed that I ought to call and let you know what has happened: Wanda Maximoff has left the Avengers base.”

“Really?” asked Coulson.

“Yes. Early this morning, there were several explosions outside of the base. Clint Barton used those as a cover to break in and take Miss Maximoff with him.”

“Barton? I thought he was retired?”

“I had thought so too, Director,” said Coulson. “But apparently Captain Rogers has called him to ask for a personal favor.”

“A favor. Did he say for what?”

“No, he didn’t. I do not dare to repeat the language he used to describe the situation.”

Coulson groaned. “It was probably asking him to help him protect Barnes, I shouldn’t wonder.”

“I would not be surprised,” said Vision. “Miss Maximoff, I regret to say, had to use violent means to subdue me in order to escape. I was unconscious for a few hours, but I am feeling better now. I am headed over to Germany in a short while. Mr. Stark requires my assistance in bringing Rogers and those assisting him to justice.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” said Coulson sarcastically. “Well, good luck. Let me know how it goes.”

“I shall. Have a good day, Director.”

“You too.”

Coulson hung up on the call. He then stormed out of his office to tell Hillary and Mitch what had happened. Hillary only gaped at Coulson.

“Wait, back up,” said Mitch, leaning over the back of his chair. “You’re saying that Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch are on their way over to Germany to fight Iron Man with Captain America?”

“Sorensen, we don’t have all of the facts yet, don’t even jump to that conclusion!” said Coulson. 

“Well, I’m just saying, that’s what it looks like.”

“Mitch, please, things are already bad enough for the Avengers without them fighting each other,” said Hillary. 

“I’m just saying, it’s a cool concept: the most powerful superhumans in the world all fighting each other. I’m gonna want a copy of that tape!”

“Mitch, we are not encouraging this,” Hillary snapped at him. Coulson rubbed his eyes.

“Hey, I’m just as scared as you are,” said Mitch. “They’re probably going to kill each other, if it goes badly enough. But it’s super cool at the same time.” He counted off on his fingers. “Hey, we got Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, the Falcon, and the Winter Soldier fighting with Captain America. And then for Iron Man, he’s got War Machine helping him out, and Black Widow. Makes you wonder who’s going to beat up who.”

“Yes, well those are just the people we know about, sadly,” said Coulson. “Both teams probably have allies we don’t know about.”

“Are you suggesting that one of them’s going to call on Ant-Man?” asked Hillary.

“Calling it now, he’s Team Cap,” said Mitch. “He’s friends with Hank Pym, who hates Stark, and plus he’s already a criminal--and let’s face it, Captain America’s a fugitive now. Who better to help him?”

“What about the Black Panther?” Hillary asked Coulson.

“Last I checked he was still after Bucky’s blood,” said Coulson.

Mitch cringed. “Ooooh, don’t even say that!”

“I mean, T’challa has his own agenda, but chances are if Stark asked him for assistance, he’d say yes.”

“More likely he’d just show up to the party uninvited,” said Hillary.

“Right,” said Mitch. “So...yeah. Our friends are going to kill each other. That’s...fantastic.” His face fell as the realization hit him. “Sorry, I guess it was a little inappropriate to joke about it.”

“Nonsense, Mitch, you’re fine,” said Coulson, touching the back of Mitch’s chair. “Honestly, this whole thing is unprofessional and very silly. Why can’t they just sit down and sort out their issues like reasonable adults?”

“You’ve got me,” said Hillary. Coulson turned and left them while Hillary and Mitch got back to work. The rest of the morning was uneventful. 

The one thing that broke Hillary’s heart, aside from Bucky’s situation, was Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff. They had been working together long before the Avengers were an idea. Would they hurt each other and ruin that friendship? How many lives, how many relationships were going to be ruined because of this petty feud? What was Cap fighting for, that made him think it was worth it?

 

“How could this day get any worse?” Hillary asked herself as she returned to her desk after her lunch break. Just as she was going to sit down at her desk, her desk phone went off. She picked it up and answered.

“Director’s Office, this is Agent Tanner,” she spoke.

“Agent Tanner, this is Agent Marcus from the Las Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. station,” said the man on the other end. “Is this a bad time?”

“No, it’s not,” said Hillary.

“Well, I’ve got some sort-of good news for you, then,” said Marcus. “We have tracked down the current hideout of Hydra’s Lambda cell.”

“You’re kidding!” A few people in the office looked at Hillary.

“Yes, we’ve found them. I want to speak with Director Coulson about the situation.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll tell him to put you through right away. Can you please hold?”

“Uh-huh.”

Hillary was shaking a little as she hit the hold button and went to Coulson’s office. Coulson was on the phone with someone, but he stopped to listen to Hillary’s announcement. He wrapped up the call and she went back to her desk.

“He’ll be right with you,” Hillary told Agent Marcus as she transferred the call.

A few minutes later, Coulson came out of his office looking tense. 

“So what’s the scoop, boss?” Mitch asked, turning around to look at him. Hillary had already shared the news with him.

“They’ve got Hydra hiding in the attic of a run-down casino in Vegas,” said Coulson. “This is going to be our best chance to take them.”

“‘Our’ best chance?” asked Hillary.

“He asked me if I would be interested in helping them take out the cell personally,” said Coulson. “Of course you two are coming with me, right?”

“Yes,” Mitch said promptly.

“Of course,” said Hillary. “I guess we’ve got nothing better to do, while the Avengers are gearing up to fight each other.”

Coulson suppressed a quiet chuckle. “That’s the spirit.” He called over to Agent Lyman to book the quickest flight for them to Vegas. He also had Agent Peterson call Nick Fury and Maria Hill. They came just as Coulson and Mitch and Hillary were finishing setting things in order to leave.

“So what’s so urgent that you have to leave all of a sudden?” Fury asked them skeptically.

“Our team in Vegas has found Hydra’s Base Lambda,” said Coulson. “We’ve been looking for them for over a year, sir. We’re going to finish them off this time.”

“So do you need us to keep an eye on things while you’re gone?” asked Maria.

“Yes, if you don’t mind,” said Coulson as he grabbed something from off a printer. “Everyone has their assignments already. You just need to make sure things are running smoothly. Don’t forward any calls to me unless you absolutely have to. And make sure that the world doesn’t end, please, if the Avengers destroy each other.”

“Will do,” said Maria.

“I doubt their stupid quarrel is going to change anything,” Fury said darkly.

“Just take care, you two,” said Coulson. “I’ll be seeing you.” He shook hands with Maria and Fury, as did Mitch and Hillary.

“Keep an eye on him for me,” said Fury to Mitch.

“Not a problem.”

Hillary, Coulson, and Mitch left the suite and headed for the elevator.

Coulson huffed. “I’m sure if Captain Rogers wasn’t so preoccupied then he’d be more interested in helping us out.”

“It’s not something we can’t handle ourselves, right, boss?” said Hillary. “Marcus said their base wasn’t heavily defended.”

“Yes, but you just never know.” Coulson shook his head. The three of them got onto the elevator.

“Isn’t Las Vegas where you and Emily were almost killed by the Winter Soldier, boss?” asked Mitch.

“Don’t remind me,” said Coulson.

“Oh, I see,” Mitch nodded. “‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’ I get it.”

“That doesn’t work a hundred percent of the time,” Hillary said. “Case in point: the Winter Soldier. Can I get an ‘amen,’ Coulson?”

“Amen,” said Coulson darkly. Hillary knew enough about Coulson’s previous trip to Vegas to know he was not looking forward to going there. The three of them went to their separate cars to go home and pack. Coulson picked up Mitch and Hillary at their apartments a short while later, and they were off to the airport.

 

Las Vegas, Nevada

They landed in Las Vegas late that night. Hillary had never been to Las Vegas before, and the bright lights and flashing neon of the casinos unsettled her on the drive out from the airport. Agent Henry Marcus, a thickset man in his mid-fifties, picked them up and drove them out to a hotel in North Las Vegas.

At nine o’clock Tuesday morning, Agent Ferguson from the Las Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. office picked up the three of them and took them to their headquarters. Coulson locked himself in Marcus’ office. Ferguson and Mitch left to go get breakfast for the team on Coulson’s orders. Hillary was supposed to stay behind and watch the phones--including Coulson’s personal cell phone, which he’d left behind so as to not be interrupted while he conferred with Marcus. 

Hillary couldn’t bring herself to do anything useful. The news that morning hadn’t had any updates on the whereabouts of Steve Rogers and his allies. But there was a report that Sharon Carter was missing from CIA headquarters in Berlin, and Captain America and Falcon’s gear were also missing. They were gearing up to fight Iron Man. It was the only explanation.

At ten o’clock, Ferguson and Mitch were still gone and the office was completely silent. No one else from the Las Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. team had arrived yet. Hillary was kind of disappointed, since she’d heard such good things about the Vegas group.

She was drumming her fingers on a desk when Coulson’s phone went off. It was an unknown number. Hillary wondered who it was, but she didn’t dare hope. She answered.

“Hello?”

“You’re not Coulson!” said a familiar voice.

“STEVE?” she squealed.

“Not so loud, Hillary, we’re hiding in kind of an echoey space. How are you?”

Hillary took a couple of quick breaths and said, “Steve, you had better have a good explanation for what’s going on! I--”

“I do have a good explanation,” Steve cut in. “Listen, there’s this guy named Zemo who used to work for Hydra. He’s on his way to Siberia to raise an army of super-soldiers.”

Hillary didn’t have a response to that at first. “Okay, back up, who is this guy?”

“Hillary, he’s the ‘psychologist’ they brought in to examine Bucky, but all he did was trigger his Winter Soldier programming. Now he’s going for the others in Hydra’s death squad.”

“Death squad?”

“Yeah. Hydra’s secret gang of super-soldiers. Bucky wasn’t the only one. That has to be what he’s after.”

“To do what, take over the world?”

“We think so.”

“‘We’? Who’s ‘we’?”

“Bucky and Sam and I.”

Hillary was speechless. “No way. Steve--I--just what-- what do you think you’ve been playing at, going after Bucky and trying to help him? He’s my friend, too, but--”

“Hillary, there’s nobody else who is willing to help him. I--”

“Steve, who is that?” came a voice from the other side of the phone.

“It’s nobody, Buck,” Steve commented. “Sorry about that. Anyway, we’re waiting for--”

“Is that Hillary?” said the voice again. Hillary’s palms were sweating.

“Hold on a sec,” said Steve to Hillary. 

“I thought you said you were calling Coulson,” said the other voice.

“I was, but---”

“GIMME THAT!” The voice came into focus. “Hello, Hillary.”

Hillary nearly dropped the phone. “Bucky? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me, how are you?”

“I--I--are you all right?” she asked him.

“Yes, I’m fine,” said Bucky. “At least, I’m fine for now--”

“Bucky, what’s happening with you two?”

“Look, Hillary, I’m so sorry about the rampage in Berlin. That wasn’t me--Zemo was controlling me.”

“Steve just told me that!”

“Are you all right?”

“You didn’t answer my question! What are you two doing? Where are you at?”

“We’re still in Germany, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Steve made some phone calls. We’re going after Zemo to stop him before he puts his plan into action.”

“Bucky, are you sure about this?”

“It’s a lot to explain,” said Bucky. “I’m certain he’s after those other super-soldiers. But how are you? Where are you?”

“I’m in Las Vegas--Coulson and I are fighting Hydra. We’ve tracked down their Lambda cell. Tell Steve--”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to pass that on to him. I wish we could help you out but we’ve got a bigger problem right now.”

“Did you tell her--?” Steve asked him.

“Yes, I told her,” Bucky replied curtly. 

“Tell her to tell Coulson,” Steve said.

“Will do. Hillary, Steve wants you to--”

“Yes, I’ll tell Coulson,” said Hillary. Just then, Coulson came out of Marcus’ office. 

“All right then. Give my love to your family. I miss you. We’ve gotta go find someplace else to hide now.”

“Wait, you’re going to--”

Coulson froze, watching Hillary.

“I wish we could talk longer. Bye for now,” said Bucky.

“Bye Hillary,” Steve called.

“No, wait, Steve! Bucky! Don’t hang up!” 

“Say hi to Coulson for me,” said Steve. The line went dead.

Hillary lowered the phone away from her face. She looked up at Coulson. Coulson was watching her, dumbstruck.

“Who was that?” asked Coulson.

Hillary felt herself tearing up. “Both of them.” Coulson broke into a smile. She and Coulson embraced. If nothing else, they finally had the miracle they’d been waiting for.


	8. Such a Disappointment

Mitch and the Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. team arrived to find Coulson and Hillary in the middle of the office space hugging and crying. Coulson and Hillary and Mitch grabbed some donuts and sequestered themselves in a side office to fill him in on the news. Mitch couldn’t believe it.

“But, that’s crazy! Cap wouldn’t try to call you guys while he was on the run, would he?” asked Mitch, waving a half-eaten, powdery and jelly-filled donut in his hand as he spoke and chewed at the same time. 

“Well, he did always make it a point to keep me in the loop of things, back in the day,” said Coulson.

“If by back in the day you mean previous to the Accords coming out, then yes,” said Hillary. “Gosh, it feels like such a long time ago already.”

“I know, but couldn’t someone track them down like that?” asked Mitch. 

“We’ve already tried calling the number back,” said Coulson. “It’s a European number but it’s disconnected. It must’ve been a pay phone or something.”

“So what are they going to do, go to Siberia with the Avengers to stop some crazy guy named Zemo?”

“Zemo, yeah,” said Hillary. “That was the jist of it.”

“Zemo. Did Bucky remember him from...way back when?” Mitch asked carefully.

“He didn’t say. But Zemo must know something about the Winter Soldier. Or at least how to control him. He was the one who triggered him to go crazy in Berlin.”

“That’s nuts,” said Mitch. He had finished the jelly donut but he looked a little like he wanted to throw it up. “This guy is insane. Yeah, I think Cap’s making the right call, going to stop him.”

“Don’t be so hasty, son,” said Coulson. “We don’t know a lot about this guy or what he’s really doing--and Cap doesn’t know either.”

“We don’t have any way of telling him if we could look up this Zemo guy on the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, could we?” asked Hillary.

“No. But it’s still worth looking. I don’t know, though. Stark and whoever he’s working with might stop Steve and Bucky, before they can get anywhere.”

Mitch paused thoughtfully. “I know it sounds cliche, but, I have a bad feeling about this.”

Hillary texted her mother. Mom, you’ll never guess who just called me! 

A short while later, Coulson did a search in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database and did not come up empty-handed. Helmut Zemo was of German descent but until last year had lived in Sokovia. The S.H.I.E.L.D. database reported on Zemo’s ruthless military record as well as ties to Hydra.

“Good grief,” said Hillary. “Cap’s really on to something.” She was reading over Coulson’s shoulder and shaking as she gripped the back of his chair. “But does this mean he was the one behind the bombings in Vienna? Is Bucky really innocent, then?”

“I don’t know,” said Coulson, although he sounded like he wanted to believe it. “There’s not enough evidence to support that yet. But it’s a start.”

Coulson wasted no time in composing an email to Tony Stark--although he knew that it would very likely be ignored. He was careful, however, to forward the same message to the CIA in Berlin.

Hillary’s mother responded to the text in mid-afternoon.

Jo: Who called you, dear?  
Hillary: Steve. And Bucky.

From that point on, Coulson and his assistants focused their efforts on preparing for the S.H.I.E.L.D. strike against the Hydra cell. They called on the local police and SWAT teams to assist them and planned to attack early the following morning. They left the S.H.I.E.L.D. office early and went to bed early. Hillary hoped that nothing crazy would happen while they were all asleep. 

Before she went to bed, she had a very emotional phone call with her mother. The message that Bucky had passed on was enough to reassure Jo of his innocence, although Jo still felt like he needed to somehow make amends for the accident and not go tearing across the world after Hydra. Both of them were still very afraid for Steve and Bucky, but it was the best they had to go on. 

 

The next morning at around six, dressed in her combat gear, Hillary joined Coulson, Mitch, and the Las Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. team and law enforcement in attacking the run-down casino on the edge of town. They stormed the emergency stairwells and main entrances and barged into the attic--to find six people sitting around watching a news broadcast. Of course two of them promptly jumped to their feet and raised their hands. With some bemusement Coulson and those who had joined him in anticipation of the bloody attack lowered their weapons and made the arrests.

“What are you guys watching?” Mitch asked the Hydra agent sitting closest to the television.

The man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, stuffed some popcorn into his mouth. “The Avengers. They’re fighting each other, over in Germany.”

“The Avengers?” asked Hillary. She turned up the TV volume. The European news cameras had zoomed in onto an airport--Leipzig, the caption read--and showed a group of superhumans brawling on the runway. Hillary spotted Iron Man and War Machine’s suits firing. She saw the red mist of the Scarlet Witch’s powers. There were other random explosions as well, and gunfire. At one point she thought she saw Captain America’s shield flying around.

“Marcus, let’s get these losers off their buttss and down to the police station,” said Coulson. “We’ll deal with them later.”

“Take your time,” said another Hydra agent, a thirty-something woman who was sitting on a couch and eating a chocolate pop tart while she watched the television. 

“Are you guys behind this?” Hillary asked the woman.

“No,” said the woman, making a face.

“I kind of wish I’d thought of that, actually,” said a male Hydra agent who was being taken out of the room with his hands cuffed behind his back. “Making the Avengers fight each other.”

Hillary couldn’t believe it. Were the Avengers really that stupid?

She continued to watch the news. Coulson let her guard the room while the suspects were taken out to the police vans. Mitch joined her for a little while. It was hard to see who was who and what they were doing. 

“Thought I saw an arrow right before that blast,” said Mitch, pointing at the TV screen. “That must be Hawkeye.”

“That jet of yellow light--that’s probably from Vision.”

Hillary saw a black, cat-like shape fighting another dark shape with a silver bit. 

“That has to be Bucky--he’s fighting the Black Panther,” said Mitch.

“Oh my gosh, no,” said Hillary. Bucky looked like he was barely keeping ahead. But she was distracted by the shapes of Falcon and War Machine flying around and shooting at each other. Wanda launched herself into the air to throw her energy blasts at Vision. 

“Got eyes on Cap?” asked Hillary.

“No, I--wait, what was that?” Mitch saw something jerking and yanking Steve around. This shape was smaller than the other Avengers, and also mostly red. It seemed to be shooting something out of its hands.

“What is that?” asked Hillary.

“You mean who is that? Not a clue.”

They watched as the red shape picked up a fallen airport walkway. 

“You think Ant-Man’s there?” asked Hillary.

“Too small to see--” Mitch began, but then he broke off. A gigantic shape emerged from almost nowhere. The helmet was similar to Ant-man’s, but upgraded.

“Where do you think he learned to do that?” asked Hillary. The other superhumans scattered around the giant while he grabbed the fliers out of midair. Then Hillary saw the smaller red person throw his sticky substance around the giant. After a minute the giant fell and disappeared. 

“What’d I miss?” Coulson said as he came back up the stairs into the room.

“They’re still fighting, it looks like,” said Hillary. 

“Look!” said Mitch, pointing. A S.H.I.E.L.D. quinjet came out of a side hangar and started down the runway. War Machine began to pursue it, immediately followed by the Falcon.

“That’s got to be Cap,” said Coulson.

“I wonder who else got in there with him,” Hillary said quietly.

They didn’t have long to wonder, though. A jet of yellow light struck War Machine, and Rhodes fell. They saw Iron Man, Vision, and Falcon rush to his landing spot on the ground. 

“The blazes?” said Hillary.

“It was the Vision,” said Coulson. “He must’ve been aiming for the jet--golly, that’s terrible. I’ve seen enough.” He found the power button on the side of the TV screen and switched it off. “Let’s go to the police station and start interrogating these goons. We’ll send up forensics later.” Coulson put his arm around Hillary and led her and Mitch down the stairs and out of the building.

It had been like watching Sokovia all over again--so real and immediate and yet Hillary and her friends were too far away to be of any help.

 

The TV screens at the police station were switched to coverage of the aftermath of the battle in Leipzig. It was a wonder that anyone could focus enough to interrogate this freshly-captured Hydra cell. But Coulson asked every single one of them if they had any connections to the Vienna bombing, which they all denied, and if any of them knew Helmut Zemo.

“Who?” asked one.

“Never heard of him,” said another.

“There were lots of people who worked for Hydra, back in the day,” said the leader of the group, a man with messy gray hair. “We didn’t all know each other.”

“I might have heard of him, once,” said the woman who had been eating pop tarts. “He didn’t do anything important, though. Otherwise he would have stuck out more.”

“He was just one of our sleepers in the Sokovian military,” said one of the Hydra agents finally, a guy named Zeek. He was cooperating in exchange for energy drinks--he’d been up all night watching the news. “He did a lot of good work for Hydra, but in the long run he wasn’t that important. I never met him. Why do you ask? What’s he done?”

“Do you know if he ever worked with the Winter Soldier?”

Zeek sniffed. “No. You had to be really high-up to even know about the Asset. I doubt he would have--before S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed anyway.”

“Do you know if he had any connections to any leaders in Hydra--Baron Strucker, Alexander Pierce, Rumlow--”

“I didn’t even know those guys, sport,” said Zeek. “Why should he have?”

“Can you tell us who is in Hydra’s high command?” asked Coulson.

“No,” said Zeek, pursing his lips. “We never dealt with them directly. Our contact with them was a guy named Mason. I couldn’t tell you where he’s at right now, though.”

“When was your last contact with them?” asked Hillary, taking notes. 

“About--golly, two weeks, three weeks ago now? I lost track of the time. The only real order that Mason passed on to us from the High Command was to wait for their orders to strike--and frankly I think that was a long time from now. They haven’t sent us any plans or people or weapons.” Zeek sighed. “Things aren’t the way they used to be. I might have known they were going to leave us high and dry to be found by you dogs.”

“Well, apart from direct contract with the Hydra command,” said Coulson, do you know of anyone in Hydra or working for Hydra who intended to sabotage the signing of the Sokovia Accords in Vienna, or to oust or recapture the Asset?”

Zeek shook his head, a soft smile on his face. “Now on that you’d really have me stumped. Hydra’s cells are so isolated these days we don’t even coordinate stuff like that--I’d like to know where we’d get the resources, if we did. Last I heard about the Asset--and I never heard very much about him to begin with, was that Hydra was going to let him go.”

“Were they going to let him be taken by the authorities?”

“I don’t think they cared.”

“So do you know what Hydra’s long-term plans were for Base Lambda or any of its other cells?” Hillary asked.

“Well, from the looks of things, the High command has been slowly dismantling Lambda. After you captured most of our ground ops last March they decided it wasn’t worth continuing to operate from here. We didn’t mind. We’ve just been doing black-market stuff to pay the bills--but seeing as that’s how you found us.”

“How about the rest of Hydra?” Hillary pressed. “Where are they operating from now?”

“Various places,” Zeek shrugged. “I could give you some names and locations if you want--though I don’t know how much good it’ll do you seeing the Avengers are out of order.”

“How did you know about the Avengers fighting each other in Leipzig?” asked Coulson.

“Dunno man, we were just channel surfing at four this morning. It was the only thing really worth watching. Can I get another Monster?”

“I’ll have to go out to the fridge and get one,” said Coulson. “But we are more than happy to oblige you.”

Zeek gave them a knowing look. “Of course you’ll be back to question me a little more later, right? Am I correct that none of the others are talking?”

“None of them seem to like energy drinks as much as you do,” said Hillary. “And sadly that was all this police station had on hand to bribe you with.”

“By all means, keep it coming.”

Hillary was tired of Hydra personnel they questioned answering everything they were asked with “I don’t know”. They brought a few more Monster drinks for Zeek, and he gave them a list of other Hydra bases that he was aware of, detailing which ones Lambda had been in contact with. Conspicuously missing from this list, however, was the fortress that S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about in Mexico. Hillary also kept expecting to hear Mesa, Arizona on the list of locations. She didn’t dare ask Zeek if he knew if Hydra was doing anything down there.

Coulson handed Hillary a bottle of diet coke on their way to their lunch break. “Here. Got you something.”

“Thanks,” said Hillary. It was long overdue. But there was something she wanted to ask him.

“Do you think Hydra is planning something, Boss?” 

“I don’t know, but, I think now would be the ideal opportunity to strike, if they wanted to,” said Coulson nervously. “Not later after the Accords are settled and Ross has control over superhumans, and people are used to the idea--now, when everything is uncertain and the Avengers are divided amongst themselves.”

“Was that you or Emily Bridger talking just now?” Hillary asked Coulson.

Coulson gave a weak smile. “I like to think that’s how she would have seen things.”

Hillary hung back for a moment. Coulson went ahead into the break room but then noticed that Hillary was still in the hallway, holding her diet coke. 

“What?” he asked.

“What would Emily have thought about all of this, I wonder?” Hillary said.

“I don’t know,” said Coulson. “Hopefully she would’ve had the sense to stay out of it.”

 

Washington, D.C.

The phone lines were busy in the S.H.I.E.L.D. director’s office that afternoon. One of the agents who should have been manning the phone had gone to the restroom. In his slow prowl through the office, Nick Fury had passed by her desk as the phone went off. He decided to answer it.

“Director’s Office,” said Fury, sounding bored.

“Fury?” came the male voice on the other line.

“Yes, it’s me. Coulson is in Vegas right now. Can I take a message?”

“I need you to call him for me!” said the man. “This is Agent Newton in Cincinnati. The Cleveland police called us up a few days ago to look into a strange murder--some guy drowned upside-down in a sink. A Russian expat living alone, right? Well, get this--he used to work for Hydra. Vasily Karpov, a Soviet sleeper. We checked the databases. Captain Rogers got a file from Agent Romanoff detailing the Asset--Karpov was one of the handlers.”

Fury was so angry he nearly dropped the phone. 

“Honest to goodness, sir, that’s what we’ve found. In his apartment he’d been storing a box of Hydra’’s old files behind a cement wall, but somebody tore open the wall and went through it.”

“Why didn’t the Cleveland police call us about this sooner?”

“I know, I know. Can you call Director Coulson for me?”

“Will do,” said Fury. Agent Newton thanked him profusely before hanging up but Fury didn’t say a word in response.

 

Las Vegas, Nevada

“It has to have been Zemo,” said Coulson as he conferred with his agents after Fury’s call. “Karpov would’ve known how to treat the Winter Soldier--he would’ve known the secrets.” Coulson curled his hands into a fist. “All Zemo would have to have done is taken whatever information he needed from the file box and left.”  
“Not to mention killing Karpov to keep him from telling,” said Hillary.

“That’s sick, drowning a guy in a sink,” said Mitch.

“I’ve seen worse,” said Coulson. He went to go find Agent Marcus. The other Hydra agents were en-route to a secure facility, but Zeek was still around. In the meantime, it would be up to the Vegas S.H.I.E.L.D. team to see if they could learn anything from him about Karpov.

“Do you really think they’d know?” asked Hillary.

“It’s worth a try.”

Zeek was happy to listen and sip yet another energy drink while Hillary explained who Karpov was.

“Look, girl, I told you,” he answered her. “I never even knew the Asset existed until two years ago, okay? Why would I even know one of his handlers?”

“You do know that the Asset was here two years ago, right before D.C. happened, right?” said Hillary.

“Really? Base Lambda was created after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. We never had anything to do with it.”

“Hydra has many heads, does it not?” asked Mitch. “Why don’t they all connect to the body?”

“Because the nature of those connections is privileged information,” Zeek began, “but I think I’m going to have a sugar crash before I can even tell you what I know about that.”

 

Well, could things possibly get worse? Hillary asked herself later. She was eating a microwave dinner in the police station break room when one of the cops who worked there and a female secretary entered, followed by Coulson. They changed the channel on the TV and turned off the mute. The local news was showing dust and ash from an explosion in a city somewhere. Hillary wondered at first if it was damage that the Avengers could have caused. But then she saw the headline: ‘Explosion injures dozens in Arizona.’ The newscaster was talking about Mesa.

“What is this?” asked Hillary. After a minute or two watching the news, Hillary had figured out that there had been two explosions, one on a bus in downtown Mesa, another at a bank off of Alma School Road--the bank where her parents kept their money, oddly enough.

Coulson was called out of the room by Mitch--it was a call from Agent Parsons, he said.

Hands trembling, Hillary pulled her phone out of her pocket. No one in her family had contacted her. She sent a text to her mother, ARE YOU OKAY? She then sat down to continue to watch the news, racking her brains to think of people she knew who might have been in the bombing. It was clear to the news that it was not an accident.

Mitch and Coulson returned to the breakroom, both ashen-faced. Hillary looked up at them expectantly. 

“Anybody you know been hurt?” asked Coulson.

“So far, no,” Hillary said quietly. “I just texted my mom.”

“Go ahead and call them,” said Coulson. “Just to be sure they’re okay.”

“Right, boss,” said Hillary. Hillary pulled out her phone and called her mother. Coulson turned down the TV volume but switched on the captioning. Hillary wasn’t able to completely explain the situation to her mom, but told her to call her father and siblings and make sure they were all right. She would keep them posted. 

Hillary hung up. “So what did Parsons have to say?” 

Coulson sighed. “It was Hydra. They’re ninety percent sure.”

“Do they have evidence?” asked Hillary.

“Because some idiot spray-painted a Hydra logo on the door of the bank that got bombed,” said Mitch. “Clearly they wanted the credit.”

“Or they could be trying to pin Hydra for it,” said Hillary. “Draw out the Avengers.”

Coulson suddenly twitched. “Huh.”

“What?” asked Hillary.

“I wonder if...never mind. But your friend Agent Kearns was in a car next to the bus that got attacked. He’s currently in the hospital. Stable condition.” 

Hillary clapped a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t think it was an accident that he was injured--he’s lucky he wasn’t killed. Agent Parsons wants us to go down there as soon as possible. We can’t tonight because they’ve closed down the Phoenix Airport--which it’s reasonable that they should.”

“Well, can we take S.H.I.E.L.D. or a military transport down there, boss?” asked Mitch.

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Coulson, “make some calls, but it may be quicker at this rate to wait for tomorrow morning.” 

“Right,” said Hillary.

“What do you need us to do, sir?” asked Mitch.

“Sorensen, I need you to call Fury back in D.C. while I try to get us a flight. Tell him that we think Hydra was behind the bombing. Hillary, you keep on watching the news. See if you can learn more. Make sure your family is okay and your other Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. friends, if you have their contact info.”

“Yes, sir,” said Hillary. Mitch and Coulson left the room.

Honestly, Hillary didn’t feel like doing much more than sitting and watching the news. She wish they would show some kind of an update on the Avengers--those who had fought on Steve’s side in Leipzig had been taken into custody at last report, but there weren’t any details on who and where. A part of her wanted Steve to call Coulson and tell them he was okay, but she knew that was a far-fetched hope. 

In the meantime, more evidence was being released about the bombings in Mesa. Hillary thought she saw Agents Clay and Swill in the backgrounds of the crime scenes behind the news reporters. The national news had picked up the situation and was bringing updates by the minute. Coulson and Mitch came in every few minutes to check on her. She got texts back from her family and friends telling her they were okay. Her sister Julia and brother Jonathan both asked if she knew what was happening. Hillary told them to stand by--she didn’t know what she was supposed to tell them yet.

Hillary was thinking about going to the break room cupboard for a snack when the news announced that two of the alleged bombers had been caught on video. They were standing on the street corner near where the bus had been bombed. One of them had thrown an explosive device using supernatural means. The picture was grainy, but from a distance, Hillary thought the person looked familiar. It was a female, tall, with dark features.

Coulson and Mitch came in as the footage was being replayed on the news. “What’s happening?” he asked. 

“They think they’ve caught someone,” said Hillary. Hillary pointed to the news screen. “Does that person look familiar?”

Coulson scratched his chin. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was Jamie Sneld.”

“Sneld? Isn’t she the one who killed Grace?” asked Mitch.

“Yeah, that’s got to be her,” said Hillary. Hillary felt her stomach churning. It revulsed her that someone like Jamie would be in her hometown, killing innocent people, targeting one of her friends. No...Jamie was past the point of redemption now. To think that they had once been friends…

Coulson turned and left the room. Hillary wanted to ask where he was going, but he was gone too quickly.

 

Coulson went to the holding cells at the back of the police station where Zeek was being held. 

“What, you got another bone to pick?” asked Zeek.

“Absolutely,” said Coulson. Zeek was leaning against the bars of his cell. When he saw the anger in Coulson’s eyes he tried to back away, but Coulson was faster. Coulson grabbed him and pulled him up to the bars. 

“There’s just been a double-bombing in Mesa,” said Coulson. “30 people killed, last count, dozens injured. Did you know anything about this?”  
Zeek gave Coulson a questioning look.

“Did you know anything about this?” Coulson snapped, shaking Zeek by the collar.

“Hell no.”

“Don’t lie to me! Did you know about this? Did you have any inkling?”

“I swear, I didn’t know!” Zeek croaked as Coulson choked him. “The high command hasn’t kept me in the loop on anything the other cells are up to, honest!”

Coulson looked Zeek in the eye. “If we find out that you knew...if we find out that you could’ve told us something ahead of time...I swear, I will come back...you’ll pay for this.” Coulson let go of Zeek’s collar, pushing him away as he did. Zeek collapsed onto the bars and watched as Coulson stormed away. 

 

By the end of the night, Jamie Sneld was the only Hydra agent that they had positively identified in the bombings. Her accomplice at the bus scene had been a young white male about Jamie’s age, but facial scans in the S.H.I.E.L.D. databases came up negative. Hillary’s family and the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. team were all accounted for--Kearns was the only one injured. He’d gotten glass and shrapnel and burns all over himself and a broken leg but he was alive.


	9. I'm Sorry but Why Does This Keep Happening?

Hillary had no idea how she slept at all that night. It was like she closed her eyes and then opened them the next morning with her train of worries still running at full speed. Coulson and Mitch didn’t look that well-rested, either. A hearty breakfast at their hotel, however, improved their mood a little. Coulson had been unable to get a S.H.I.E.L.D. or military transport to Phoenix--they would fly down on a commercial liner. A direct flight to Phoenix from Vegas was a little over an hour--”a hop, skip, and a jump,” as Coulson put it. Before too long they would be helping the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. team get a handle on Hydra. And Hillary looked forward to staying with her family while she was there--maybe sneaking a visit with Mark. She texted her boyfriend and her parents to let them know she was coming.

Agent Marcus dropped them off at the Las Vegas airport shortly after breakfast without a hassle. The baggage check and security lines were busy but moved quickly. Hillary noticed that Coulson seemed a bit antsy while they waited to go through security. A pair of pilots went through the high-security lane right before they did, and Coulson kept looking at them.

“Are you all right?” Hillary asked him.

Coulson seemed a little startled by Hillary’s voice. “Oh, hm? Yes, I’m fine,” said Coulson, though he tossed a backward glance over his shoulder. The two pilots went out of sight. 

“Well, good,” said Hillary. “Don’t act so nervous, though. It tends to spread.”

“Right, sorry,” said Coulson. Hillary almost expected him to say that as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. he should have reason to be nervous. But it was their turn to go through inspection and she kept her thoughts to herself. Mitch was texting his family back in California and didn’t notice Coulson’s anxiety.

Coulson was much more relaxed once they were through security and on their way to the gate. Coulson reminisced about his past experiences working with Agent Marcus--long before his last trip to Vegas, of course. 

When they were waiting outside the gate, Coulson whispered to Hillary and Mitch, “Do you remember the guy fighting the Avengers in Leipzig, the one who was sort of swinging around?”

“The red one?” asked Hillary.

“Yeah, I remember him,” said Mitch.

“Well, Maria Hill told me this morning they’ve identified him--it’s the Spider-Man from New York.”

“The who?” asked Hillary.

Mitch leaned away, astonished. “Are you serious?”

“I’m being serious,” said Coulson. “Stark must have recruited him.”

“Wait, you guys have heard of this--thing?” asked Hillary.

“Yes, it’s a thing,” said Mitch eagerly, trying hard to keep his voice down in the noisy waiting area. “He’s a YouTube star, been stopping crime as a masked vigilante for the last few months in Queens and upper Manhattan. Nobody knows who he is or where he came from--do we know anything else about him, boss?” Mitch asked. 

“No, I’m afraid not,” said Coulson. “I’ve told S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep an eye out for him, though.”

“But what about Steve and Bucky?” asked Hillary. “Has anyone heard anything from them? Or have they turned up since the airport battle?”

“No they haven’t,” said Coulson, his face falling. “Apparently they flew east to Siberia in a stolen quinjet. S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn’t been able to find any records of the base where the Winter Soldier was kept--where, presumably, Zemo was headed. It could take them days to get there.”

“Should be cosy,” said Mitch, “give them plenty of catching-up time.”

“And the other Avengers?” asked Hillary.

“So, Vision injured Rhodes, like we saw on TV,” said Coulson. “But Rhodes is currently undergoing treatment at Columbia hospital in New York. He should be fine.”

“What about the ones who were fighting with Cap--against Iron Man’s team?” Hillary’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“They’ve all been arrested,” said Coulson. “Lang, Wilson, Wanda, and Barton.”

“Barton? I thought he went into retirement when the accords were announced,” said Mitch. “Some retirement, what, like one, two weeks?” 

“So that was Lang, then, in the giant suit?” said Hillary. 

“It was.”

“Fascinating. But where are they?”

Coulson sighed. “They’re in custody.” He looked like he knew more than he wanted to say.

“In custody. Where?”

“I don’t know.” Coulson was looking away from her.

At that moment, a plane was pulling up to their gate. Hillary and Mitch didn’t know how to talk to Coulson further, so they watched the passengers from the previous flight disembark and waited for the call to board for Phoenix. Hillary saw two pilots getting on board after the passengers had left and thought she recognized them from the security line earlier. She looked out the window at the runway and thought of how just over a day ago the Avengers had fought each other in an airport much like this one. Their feud didn’t seem to have disrupted global air traffic that much. She really had to wonder what this world was coming to as she, Mitch, and Coulson stood up to join the boarding line and then get their tickets checked. At least Steve and Bucky had a chance of stopping whatever Zemo was planning.

She certainly wasn’t sorry to see the last of Las Vegas.

At least, not at that moment.

 

Hillary didn’t like the smirk that one of the stewardesses gave Mitch, Coulson, and herself during the pre-flight safety demo. Mitch was unsettled, and Coulson glanced back at her suspiciously. Hillary hoped they wouldn’t have to interact with the dark-haired attendant much during the flight. At least the other stewardess seemed all right. 

The three of them settled back to enjoy the ride as plane lifted off from the runway. Mitch watched through the window as the highways and the Vegas Strip shrank behind them. Coulson was reading something on an iPad--an old S.H.I.E.L.D. report on the Winter Soldier, it looked like. Hillary decided she would see if she could manage a quick nap. But she’d been comfortable for no more than five minutes than when the annoying stewardess came back.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said, baring her teeth in a cheesy grin, “are you Philip Coulson, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Coulson looked up at her, his face guarded. “What can I do for you?”

“The captain would like to speak with you in the cabin.”

“Does he now?” Coulson reached back for the arm of his seat.

“You heard me. The captain wants to speak with you.Now.”

Coulson exchanged quick glances with Mitch and Hillary. “I am sorry, but this is highly irregular. What does the captain want from me?”

“He will tell you himself. If you’ll follow me.” The stewardess stepped back. Coulson unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to Hillary’s ear to whisper a quick message to her.

“If I’m not back in two minutes, come and get me.”

“Mr. Coulson?” said the stewardess.

“Coming,” said Coulson as he squeezed past Hillary, sounding a little put-off. Coulson followed her up the aisle of the plane. 

Mitch and Hillary exchanged looks. But Hillary was going to wait and let Coulson find out what it was first.

The stewardess opened the door to the cockpit and gestured for Coulson to enter. Coulson stepped inside. He almost expected her to follow him, but she closed the door behind him, and as it snapped shut he felt it against his back.

One of the pilots, a tall, lean man with a sagging square face was turned to look at him. “Well, well, Director Coulson,” he said. “It is good to see you again. It seems fortunes have improved for both of us.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” asked Coulson.

“I know, it’s hard to recognize an old friend under this sort of disguise.” The pilot touched a finger to his forehead. The face flickered into a golden netting, and he pulled it away. The face of the man underneath was leaner and not quite as pouchy, the features darker. Coulson knew him, all right: he had been a Hydra sleeper at S.H.I.E.L.D. as recently as two years ago, a man named Zunker. 

“Hello, Chris,” said Coulson, not smiling. 

Chris Zunker pulled out a pistol from under the control panel and pointed it at Coulson’s head. He grinned a little.

“Just what did you do with the real Captain Anderson, pray tell?” asked Coulson, reading the name badge on Zunker’s stolen uniform.

“Captain Anderson is taking a nap,” said the co-pilot, obviously a fellow conspirator. “A very long nap. You could say a permanent one. But don’t worry. We found him someplace quiet.” The co-pilot resumed talking to air traffic controllers in his headset. 

Coulson had to presume that the real co-pilot for this flight had met a similar fate. He thought about reaching into his blazer for his own weapon, but he knew that Zunker might shoot him if he tried. Instead, Coulson slowly raised his hands.

“That’s right, you just stay quiet,” said Zunker, still holding up the gun. “Now, what I need from you is to tell me what happened to the members of our Lambda base?”

“They’re all going to prison,” said Coulson. “Is that surprising to you?”

“No, it’s not,” said Zunker. “But I need you to be more specific than that.”

“Fair enough,” said Coulson. By the time he’d dealt with these idiots S.H.I.E.L.D. would have had more than enough advance warning to move the prisoners to a different location. As long as Hillary came and got him out, that is.

 

Hillary ended up waiting for five minutes, just to be sure. 

“All right, I’m going in,” she said to Mitch, snapping her seatbelt open.

“You--but what what if you don’t come back?”

“Don’t come back for me. I can handle this. If that stewardess gives you any trouble, fight back.”

Hillary walked up the aisle without looking back. The people sitting close to her and Mitch gave them strange looks. 

Hillary reached the front of the plane to find the stewardess guarding the door to the cockpit. 

“Excuse me, but where do you think you’re going?” the woman asked. “The lavatory is closed.”

“I’m here to check on my boss,” Hillary answered.

“The cockpit is restricted to the flight crew. You can’t go in there.” 

Hillary pulled her S.H.I.E.L.D. badge out of her pocket and flashed it at the woman. “Yes I can.”

The stewardess scowled at her. Hillary walked up to the cockpit door. The stewardess pushed herself onto Hillary and Hillary pushed back. They tussled and   
Hillary tried to punch the woman in the face. 

The other stewardess, stationed at the rear of the plane, took notice of the commotion and walked up. “Hey, what’s going on up there?”

The dark-haired woman Hillary was wrestling pinned Hillary to the ground, then pulled a gun out of her jacket. Several female passengers screamed. Hillary took advantage of her opponent’s momentary distraction and shoved the lady onto the ground. The gun went off and the bullet went into the floor. The other stewardess ran up the aisle to her rogue partner and started trying to hit her. She got beaten senseless. That was when Mitch got out of his seat and ran to help Hillary fight the flight attendant. Mitch got her attention and lured her down the aisle away from the cockpit--he wasn’t nearly as good at fighting and he took several punches to the face and a kick to the groin, but it gave Hillary the cover she needed. As soon as the stewardess heard the cockpit door open she turned around and ran to stop her, but Mitch yanked her hair and tried to throw her to the ground. 

“All right, what’s going on here?” Hillary shouted as soon as she entered the cockpit, her gun raised.

Coulson looked up at her as though he wasn’t sure he wanted her to help.

“Agent Tanner, how nice of you to join us,” said the man who had been masquerading as the airline captain. “Your boss isn’t being very cooperative at the moment. Perhaps you could help us out.”

“You want to lower your weapon, mister?” said Hillary. “Because until you do, I’m totally keeping mine up.”

“I only need information from you two,” said the man, rising from the pilot’s chair. “We need to fill in the details about what you did to the members of the Lambda cell after you arrested them.”

“You’re not going to get it,” said Hillary, holding her gun up to the man’s chest. “You let Coulson go, now.”

“Agent Tanner, please, this doesn’t have to end in a fight,” said the man. “You can agree to let us take the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. back to Hydra for questioning when we land--I am sure at the rate this interrogation is going there’s no way we’ll be able to get anything out of him before our arrival in Phoenix. I can even let the two of you go back to your seats to enjoy the flight in comfort.”

Hillary looked at Coulson. Coulson’s face was grim. He wasn’t about to go without a fight.

“And what if we don’t give him to you?” asked Hillary, looking back at the pilot. 

“We’ll crash the plane--into downtown Phoenix. Or better yet, over a quiet neighborhood in Mesa. Hydra still has your address, Hillary. I can get it.”

“You’re bluffing,” Hillary said. 

“Nobody died when S.H.I.E.L.D. took the base yesterday, Agent,” said the pilot. “Nobody has to die today. Nobody has to get hurt, either.” 

“I’m not going with you,” said Coulson. “And I’m not letting you hurt Hillary, either.” He lowered his hand and reached into his jacket.

“We’re very sorry about this, ‘Captain,’ but we need to go,” said Hillary. She turned herself sideways to open the cabin door. The pilot lunged across the cockpit to stop her. Coulson hit him in the back. As the man fell forward onto Hillary, Hillary punched him in the face and he stumbled back into his chair. The co-pilot ducked out of the way just in time, but the plane suddenly swerved when the captain fell onto the control panel. Hillary and Coulson braced themselves against the wall as the floor tilted, and in the passenger space beyond them Hillary heard screaming. 

The co-pilot pressed the ‘seatbelt on’ sign and hit the intercom button. “Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats at this time and do not get up, we are experiencing some turbulence.” Hillary heard him as she and Coulson wrestled with the pilot to remove the gun from his hands. Hillary resorted to kicking the man in his thigh when the co-pilot attacked Coulson. The plane started to swerve wildly. Both the pilot and the co-pilot scrambled for the controls as Hillary and Coulson attempted to subdue them.

“You should return to your seats,” the co-pilot hissed at Coulson. “If you try to stop us, we’ll crash the plane, and kill everyone on board.” 

Coulson grabbed the man by the shoulders and threw him against the back wall of the cockpit. The man fell, and Coulson hit him over the head with the butt of his pistol just to be sure he was out cold. The pilot, however, was trying to get back into his seat. Hillary was wrestling him to get him out.

“Do you happen to know who Helmut Zemo is?” Hillary asked him.

The man threw Hillary’s arm off of him and then shoved her against the side of the cabin, his neck on her throat. “Helmut Zemo is a traitor and a coward, abusing Hydra’s resources for his own gain.”

Hillary managed to shake his hands off of her throat enough so she could speak. “What does he want?”

“Not what the High Command wants,” the pilot said, throwing a punch at Hillary. Hillary managed to shift herself so that he missed her face.

“Hey!” Coulson said. The pilot looked back and Coulson threw him a punch. The pilot ducked when Coulson struck back but dropped Hillary. Hillary kicked him in the butt while Coulson was fighting him. The pilot did not fall but turned around, angry. Hillary threw her fist at him, and he grabbed it in midair.

“Whatever Zemo is doing, he is doing it alone. Hydra had nothing to do with the Vienna bombing!”

“What about the Asset?”

“What about the Asset?” The pilot threw his fist at Hillary’s face. Hillary ducked but then got a kick in the hip. She fell against the wall, groaning. The pilot looked like he was going to climb onto her and finish her off, but Coulson grabbed the man’s arm and twisted it behind his back. The man yelled, and when he had regained his composure enough to look up at his opponent Coulson hit him in the face and punched his lights out. He fell back against the wall with a bleeding jaw, just as Hillary was standing up.

Coulson looked at Hillary. “You know, it would’ve been a better idea to keep these guys awake and make them fly the rest of the way to Phoenix.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Hillary, looking at the downed Hydra agents.

“Do you know how to fly a plane?” Coulson asked her.

“Um, no.”

“Time to learn!”

Hillary sat down in the pilot’s seat and put on the co-pilot’s headset. She started talking into the radio with air traffic control in Phoenix to explain that   
S.H.I.E.L.D. had just stopped an attempted hijacking. Fortunately one of the controllers she talked to explained a little how to work the controls. They were starting their descent into Phoenix. 

Coulson, meanwhile, went into the main cabin. Mitch was still fighting the stewardess. Well, more accurately, the stewardess had reduced Mitch to a punching bag. A few of the other passengers had tried to stand up to her apparently but were sporting black eyes and bloody noses. A few more sat up in their seats, waiting for an opening. The other stewardess was unconscious on the floor. 

“Hey!” Coulson shouted when he entered, getting the woman’s attention. “You want a piece of me?”

The stewardess was evidently unhappy to see him. She raised her pistol at him to shoot. Coulson charged and grabbed her wrist, attempting to yank the weapon out of her hand. While they struggled, Mitch got up behind the attendant and tried to grab her from behind and pull her down. Someone sitting next to the aisle held out their foot and tripped the three of them. The woman was the first to get to her feet. Mitch did a half-somersault down the aisle away from her and Coulson was shoved backwards on his back. They both rose slowly to confront her. Mitch came in with a couple of punches. The woman raised her leg and kicked him, stabbing him with the spike of her heel. Mitch fell sideways and landed on an unsuspecting passenger. Coulson was ducking and weaving around her punches as she backed him up the aisle, looking for an opening to strike. Then one of the passengers stood up and ran into the aisle to help. He was a man, tall and brawny with curly hair and beard, and he grabbed the woman around the waist and picked her up. The woman squealed and struggled to get out of his grasp, and then she bit his arm and kicked his leg to get out. But a middle-aged woman sitting in a seat nearby picked up her heavy leather purse and threw it at the attendant’s face. The woman backed away, clutching her nose. She went after the passenger with a snarl, but the passenger’s husband stood up and punched her face. When she recoiled, Coulson grabbed her and threw her to the ground and then kicked her. He stood over her with his pistol drawn for a moment, but she did not rise. The other passengers applauded. 

Meanwhile, Hillary was still trying to figure out the plane controls. The plane was soaring over the outskirts of the greater Phoenix area and it was time for her to make the descent. An air-traffic warden was walking her through lowering the plane when she heard a noise behind her. Hillary glanced back and saw the false co-pilot rising groggily from the ground, bleeding from cuts on his face and head and his eyes swollen and bruised. 

“One moment,” she said to the controller on the radio. She started to rise from her seat to confront the co-pilot. He held up his partner’s gun and pulled the safety. Hillary grabbed his wrist. The man grabbed Hillary’s arm and twisted it, then tried to grab Hillary into a headlock with one arm and reach for the airplane’s controls with the other. 

Coulson heard her scream in the cockpit.

“Excuse me a moment,” he said as he ran to check on Hillary.

The plane was starting to tilt to the side, and out the window Coulson could see houses and streets. Coulson let Hillary and the co-pilot fight it out while he went for the control stick to set the plane right. When the plane was flying straight again, Coulson grabbed the Hydra agent by the shirt and slammed him against the wall. The man dropped his gun.

“You are gonna help us fly this plane, got it?” said Coulson, pointing his own gun at the man.

“Yes sir,” the co-pilot stammered.

“Get to it,” said Coulson, picking him up and shoving him into the pilot’s chair while Hillary got back into the co-pilot chair. Coulson stood over him, keeping the gun pointed at his head. Hillary found Coulson an extra headset so he could communicate with air traffic control and call up Agent Parsons to meet them. 

He did go out briefly before they landed to check on Mitch. Mitch was black and blue all over, but he had the rogue stewardess in handcuffs and seated next to him in the passenger section. The stewardess looked sullen but also in a great deal of pain. 

Coulson returned to the cockpit and spoke into the intercom. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Director Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.. My agents and I have successfully thwarted my own kidnapping and prevented this plane from being hijacked by terrorists. We are now making our final approach to Sky Harbor International Airport. Please have your seats in an upright position and have your seatbelts fastened for landing.” 

Chris Zunker did wake up before their landing but he was too beat up to feel like getting off the floor. The co-pilot, meanwhile, did not need much urging to help Hillary land the plane. 

 

The TSA and air traffic control asked Coulson to park the almost-hijacked plane in an isolated spot on the runway. They brought a staircase and a police car in which to take the suspects, and an ambulance for the other stewardess. Coulson and Hillary then taxied the plane to a gate and the passengers were allowed to disembark--although they would be kept at the airport for questioning by the authorities. Missed connections, delayed flights, short tempers--it was a hassle for the airline and the airport security to deal with. Bad enough Sky Harbor had been closed down yesterday from the bombings. Hillary felt awful for the passengers who’d gotten caught up in this: Hydra had only wanted to kidnap Coulson but they had been willing to kill everyone on the plane if he didn’t cooperate. 

Doug Parsons, Marcie Johnson and Cory Swill from the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. team had come to the airport to help the TSA start sorting out the mess with the hijacking. Kearns, though still in the hospital from the bombings yesterday in Mesa, had volunteered to help remotely with paperwork. 

As badly as Coulson wanted a break, he wanted to help the other passengers who had been on their flight. He and Parsons kept their interviews short and to the point. Even those who had gotten up to fight the stewardess weren’t asked to stay longer than ten minutes each. Marcie made sure those who were injured received first aid. Agent Swill helped those who had missed connecting flights to find new ones. Hillary helped a few passengers to call their families and she and Mitch even calmed a few crying children. Coulson wrote out checks and gave out cash to those who needed money or something to eat. Some of the other passengers on their flight were angry, but most of them were grateful--grateful to Coulson and Hillary and Mitch for standing up to Hydra, and grateful to be alive. Hillary would have found the experience much worse if they hadn’t stopped to help out those people. 

When the passengers had gone their way, Coulson took his assistants and the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. team to lunch in one of the airport restaurants. He bought Hillary a diet coke. They then went to the TSA office to discuss what had happened. Finally at about four o’clock in the afternoon--six hours after taking off from Las Vegas--they left the airport. Coulson took Hillary and Mitch to a nearby hospital to visit Kearns. He was tired and in pain but otherwise his usual self. He’d had his head shaved to remove the shrapnel from his skull but he also had a smile on his face when he heard about how the three of them had taken on the hijackers. He joked to Hillary that he hoped to have his hair grown back in time for her wedding, whenever it was.

It wasn’t until six-thirty that Hillary finally made it home. S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept any news of the hijacking from reaching the press, so Hillary had some explaining to do to her parents about why she was so late. 

 

Mesa, Arizona

Once Hillary had gotten some dinner, she called Mark and told him to come over. 

“So you learned how to fly a plane and stopped a few terrorists on the way, eh?” Mark said to her as they cuddled on her parents’ couch that night.

“Well--debatable whether or not I was actually flying that plane very well,” said Hillary.

“Nonsense, you did fine,” said Mark. He gave her a light peck on the nose. Hillary figured that he thought that since she didn’t crash she’d done a great job--and she supposed he was right. 

“Not bad for a day’s work, I suppose,” said Hillary.

“Not at all,” said Mark. “Wish my job was that interesting.”

“No you don’t.”

“Come here.” He and Hillary snuggled closer together. Hillary thought about the kiss he had almost given her the last time he’d seen her. She wondered if now was the time to do it, since Hillary had almost died earlier that day. Who knew what danger she could be in over the next few days while they were looking for Hydra here in Mesa? 

Hydra in Mesa, again. The thought made her shudder. She rubbed Mark’s back to get herself to relax. She closed her eyes. She had hoped that Hydra would never come back here--she hadn’t thought that it could happen. But it had. One of her old friends who had gone over to Hydra had killed innocent people here in Hillary’s hometown, just a few blocks away. And the hijacking today...Hillary would have a lot to face in the coming days. 

She had been wondering that morning if she should ask Mark if he had bothered looking for a ring yet, if he was thinking about proposing. After everything, it all seemed trivial. A part of Hillary wondered if they should even consider getting married, if Hillary’s life was in so much danger these days. But that was silly, she realized--she and Mark both knew that death was not the end of life. There was no reason to be afraid or to put their relationship on hold for that reason. But the outward symbols of their pending marriage would have to wait while Hydra was in the area. 

It had been only three weeks since she’d last seen Mark. It felt like a lifetime. She was older and tireder now than she had been when they’d almost kissed in the parking lot. 

She pulled back from Mark. She told him about the phone call from Steve and Bucky the other day. Mark was happy for her. But then he looked sad.

“What?” she asked him.

“Have you heard anything from either of them since the airport battle?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t,” said Hillary. “If S.H.I.E.L.D. had heard anything, I think Coulson would have told me.”

“Where did they go?”

“To Siberia. Bucky said that Zemo was raising an army of Hydra’s other super-soldiers.”

“And what would he do with them?”

“He didn’t say. Nobody seems to know what Zemo is really doing--not even Hydra, for that matter.” The notion gave Hillary a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she brushed it aside.

“They’ll be fine,” said Mark. He put his arm around her shoulder and held her tightly.

 

That night in his hotel room, however, Coulson woke suddenly. He didn’t remember dreaming anything. He had felt something--something terrible had just happened. Or not terrible, maybe just important. Mostly he felt sad. 

He checked his phone. No alarming headlines in the news. No messages from Hillary or Mitch. No voice mails from Maria Hill or Nick Fury. Nothing even from his girlfriend in Portland--dang it, they hadn’t talked for a few days, had they? He would text Elaine in the morning to see how she was doing. The feeling had nothing to do with her, she was all right. It was something elsewhere--

He remembered when he had been hiding on Bridger Ranch with Emily, after his last ill-fated trip to Las Vegas two years ago, when she had keeled over suddenly holding her gut, saying that she felt something had happened, and the next day they had learned about Hydra and the Insight plot. It could be something similar, he felt. Something to do with Captain America. He would have to get a hold of Hill tomorrow and see if they had found out anything about Zemo’s plot. He went back to bed, feeling uneasy. And wondering.


	10. Retaliation

Tempe, Arizona

When Coulson got to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s office in Tempe the next morning, the first thing he did was skype Maria Hill. But she told him that she hadn’t heard anything from Captain Rogers.

“Are you sure?” Coulson asked her.

“I’ve tried everything I can think of to get a hold of him, see if he left a message to S.H.I.E.L.D.,” said Maria. “He may be trying to avoid detection from the authorities.”

“He must be desperate, if he’s not trying to reach us,” said Coulson grimly. 

“Or maybe he’s in a place where he can’t communicate if he wants to,” said Maria. “But there’s more. Tony Stark is gone.”

“What?”

“Yes. According to a member of Secretary Ross’ staff, he visited the Raft yesterday. Stark was trying to persuade Ross that Cap was right about Zemo--something to do with an army of super-soldiers.”

Coulson uttered a profanity. “Have we had any updates from the CIA about Zemo?”

“Plenty. The real psychologist who was supposed to evaluate Barnes last week was found murdered in a Berlin hotel room yesterday. And Zemo also had facial prosthetics and a wig--Barnes was framed.”

A small part of Coulson relaxed. “So he’s vindicated, then?”

“Not remotely. Ross doesn’t even seem to care.”

“What about King T’challah?”

“He seems to have vanished as well. He may have gone back to Wakanda.”

Coulson was quiet for a moment. “So as soon as Stark figured out the truth he must have gone looking for Rogers to try and--well, maybe not apologize, but to help him stop Zemo. I dunno, though. That seems a little far-fetched, even for Stark.”

“I agree. I don’t think he would be that desperate.”

But in the state of mind Stark has been in these days, Coulson wondered. He could be capable of anything.

“I don’t like the looks of this, Hill,” said Coulson. 

“Me neither. Anything I can do for you?”

“Keep the headquarters teams working on the Vienna and Berlin cases. Spread the word that Barnes is innocent--I doubt anybody would listen to us, but we need to do something to help him. This may be the best chance we have. Have our field ops ready to help the CIA bring Zemo into custody as soon as he shows up. And I want all eyes looking out for some kind of sign that Rogers or Stark are alive. And Bucky, too.” The office door opened just then, and Hillary entered. “The Arizona S.H.I.E.L.D. team and I will be able to handle the mess down here, for now. I’ll let you know if there’s more you can do.”

“Of course,” said Maria. “Take care, sir.”

“Bye.”

Coulson ended the skype call. “Good morning, Agent Tanner.”

“Morning, Boss,” said Hillary, placing her briefcase on Coulson’s desk. “Any word on...from Steve?”

“I’m afraid we haven’t heard anything,” said Coulson. 

Hillary glanced at Coulson like she suspected he knew more, but said nothing.

 

Mesa, Arizona

It was a busy day at the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. office, sorting out the damages and investigations for the bombings and the hijacking. There were no new leads on Hydra that Friday. They had enough on their plates, however, dealing with the press and the police and the TSA. Saturday passed in a similar fashion, and to Hillary it hardly felt like a Saturday at all.

Coulson decided to put everyone on call on Sunday. Hillary went to church with Mark and they spent the rest of the day with her family, playing games and having fun with Hillary’s nieces and nephews. Mike and Susan’s youngest son, Joey, was over a year old now and getting into everything. Greg and Julia’s baby girl, Kate, was three months old and had enough hair for two tiny pigtails, and Hillary doted on her.

Mike’s family went home in the evening, but Greg and Julia and Baby Kate lingered. Mark and Hillary had some down time cuddling on the couch. Hillary wasn’t exactly rested from playing with the kids, but she felt renewed from having spent time with family. 

She had left her cell phone to rest on the side table with the fish tank, and pulled herself wearily out of Mark’s arms when it went off at eight thirty-two in the evening. The caller ID said Coulson. What could it possibly be this time? she asked herself. Maybe for a change Coulson had some good news. Maybe they had finally heard back something about Steve and Bucky--although as far as they were concerned she was starting to think that no news was good news. 

“Hello,” said Hillary.

“Hillary, I’ve got some bad news,” said Coulson.

“I figured. What is it?”

“There’s been a mass break-out from the state prison in Tuscon--most of the escaped inmates are Hydra.”

Hillary sat up straight. “Go on.”

“Also most of the Hydra suspects that were being held in the federal prison in California have broken out.”

Hillary leaned forward and rubbed her face. Mark was sitting up and rubbing her back.

“Great. Just great, boss. You need me to come in?”

“As soon as you can, please,” said Coulson. 

“All right, I’ll be there,” said Hillary. “See you in a bit.”

“You too.”

Hillary hung up the call, and then she groaned quietly. 

“Everything all right?” Mark asked. Across the living room, Hillary’s parents were watching her.

“Yeah, I’m all right--I’m all right, but no, everything else is not all right. I need to go to work.” Hillary got off the couch and went to her room to go change. When she came out, her mother was playing patty-cake with baby Kate. Hillary smiled and gave Kate one last pinch on the cheek before going outside to her car. Mark walked her to the door and kissed her goodbye on the cheek. 

 

Tempe, Arizona

The situation at the prisons in Tucson and the California desert did not look good. The federal prison had been bombed, and the Hydra agents had held the guards and other inmates hostage while they liberated their own. The CIA had sent in a team to stop the prison revolt, but arrived to find that Hydra had fled into the desert with its escapees. Parsons figured that they were most likely headed for Hydra’s secret base in Mexico and called the Border Patrol to put them on high alert. 

At eleven o’clock that night, the Tucson prison sent a security tape. The breakout there had been much more subtle. Jamie Sneld had used her illusions to break in herself and a team and then get Hydra’s inmates out cell by cell. 

Hillary had thought she was over Jamie joining Hydra, but she finally had to admit to herself that she wasn’t. 

“Look at this,” Coulson said, leaning over a computer screen to show Mitch and Hillary a security tape. “That’s Hugh Morris--the enhanced who attacked your family last year, Hillary.”

“Ugh,” said Hillary. The security footage didn’t show very good detail, but she could see the outline of the tentacles that the man had for arms waving in the air. He put them to good use, strangling the guards and breaking open doors and padlocks while the other Hydra agents made their way out of the prison.

“Well, that’s cheering. Now Hydra has two dangerous enhanced in the open,” said Mitch in a slightly bored voice. He hadn’t been particularly bothered to get called into work--he’d spent a boring day with a cousin he barely knew and would have gone to bed early.

“And who knows how many more,” said Swill darkly.

Agent Parsons came out of his office talking on his cell phone and then hung up. “That was the chief of police in Tucson. Apparently the Hydra escapees split into two groups east of the prison.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Where are they heading?” asked Rebecca Mikkelsen.

“That’s anyone’s guess,” Parsons said with resignation, pocketing his phone. “Clay, do we have a list of escapees yet?”

“We have the full list from the Cali prison, sir,” said Agent Clay, typing into his computer. Coulson, Hillary, and Parsons walked over to Clay’s desk. “Our old friend Max Philips was seen leaving his cell during the breakout.”

Coulson rubbed his forehead and Parsons swore. “I need you to give the authorities permission to shoot him on sight--if that’s all right with you,” Parsons said, checking with Coulson.

“Go right ahead,” said Coulson. Parsons got out his phone to compose an email. “Who else broke out of Cali?”

“Our other old friend James Sealon has left there,” said Clay. “Hydra shot the other Free Range Party inmates, however. Sealon seems to have made some agreement with Hydra.”

“Sealon?” asked Mitch, perking his head up. “Not the skinny guy?”

“Yes, that guy,” said Coulson, folding his arms and looking across the room at Mitch.

Mitch shuddered angrily. “Well, if anybody needs to die it’s that creeptastic creeper.”

“How about Michael Lemicks?” Hillary asked.

“That’s the catch, Tanner,” said Clay. “Lemicks was found dead in his cell--poisoned, from the looks of it.”

“My heck,” Swill breathed.

“I’m not surprised,” said Hillary. “He broke the FRP’s agreement with Hydra. I doubt they would leave him alive.” Hillary did feel a little sorry for Lemicks--but not that sorry.

“So Sealon is their new go-to man, then,” said Mitch.

“Permission to shoot him on sight as well?” asked Parsons.

“Granted,” said Coulson. 

“The question is, how would they get the poison to Lemicks?” asked Marcie. “I mean, all of the food being fed to the prisoners is being watched, right?”

“Maybe it was a suicide?” asked Swill.

“I doubt it,” said Parsons. “Not the same day as the rest of the Free Range Party breaking out.”

“Hydra is known to be vindictive, occasionally,” said Coulson. He walked over to Swill’s cubicle, Hillary following behind him. “What do we have from Tucson?”

“We’re still getting details, sir,” said Swill, typing. “Apparently Hydra formed some kind of a prison gang at the state facility. Their ringleader was Erich Kuhler, one of Hydra’s ground ops that we arrested in November.”

“Run a full profile on him, I want to see what he might be up to.”

“Yes, sir.”

Coulson turned around and looked at Hillary. She had her arms folded tightly and was gripping her forearms.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” said Hillary, lowering her arms. “I’ll be fine.”

“What are you so worried about?”

“Well,” said Hillary, “doesn’t it seem like, in the past few weeks, everything that could possibly go wrong has been going wrong?”

“It doesn’t just seem like it,” said Coulson calmly. 

“But how are we going to work it out?”

“I don’t know,” said Coulson. “We’ll figure something out.”

Hillary bent her head down. When she looked up, Coulson made eye contact with her. “Why don’t you go home, Agent? A good night’s rest might help you to relax.”

“Sir, I’m fine, I can keep working.”

“Yes, and you’re doing a great job, Hillary,” said Coulson. “But I think there really isn’t more we can do tonight.”

“All right, if you think it’ll help,” said Hillary.

“You go home too, Agent Sorenson,” said Coulson.

“Yes sir.”

“And Agent Clay, and Mikkelson. The four of you go home and go to bed. Some extra sleep would do you some good.”

“Coulson, do you really think that’s a good idea right now?” asked Parsons.

“We’ll just send home the younger ones, Doug. They need their rest.”

Parsons gave Coulson a questioning look. 

“Parsons, I am taking this seriously,” said Coulson. He stepped closer to Parsons while the four younger agents were getting ready to leave.“Until further notice, your office is in charge of bringing back in those Hydra fugitives.”

“What do we tell the press?”

“Tell them we’ll find them as soon as we are able.”

“Sir, you know that’s a promise we can’t keep. They may be in the mountains or in Mexico or heaven knows where by now.”

“We need the public to trust us,” said Coulson. “Our priority is to find Hydra and stop them before they get any new plans to take over the world into motion.”

“I understand that, sir,” said Parsons. “But you know the Accords banned S.H.I.E.L.D. from fighting when there’s superhumans involved. We’ve got Sneld and Morris in the field now.”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Coulson. “We can’t accept limitations that keep us from doing our job. Not with this much at stake.”

“What is at stake, then, sir?” asked Parsons.

Coulson glanced at Hillary as she was turning off her computer. “I don’t know yet. But I get the feeling we won’t have to wait long to find out.” 

 

The rest of the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. team didn’t stay very long after that, but all of them came to work early the next morning--except for Kearns, of course. Kearns had been released from the hospital but he was planning on spending the day at home resting.

“Has anybody else noticed how quiet it is without Kearns here?” Marcie asked on Monday morning.

“Yes, you have,” said Swill.

“You pointed it out like five times last week,” added Clay.

Coulson had brought bagels. Hillary grabbed one, spread it with cream cheese, and then sat down at a computer to work. Things looked grim, with so many Hydra convicts on the run, but Hillary hoped that a productive day at work would bring S.H.I.E.L.D. closer to recapturing them and resolving the crisis. 

Coulson had set up a temporary office in an extra room next to Parsons’, but he was in and out frequently to ask Hillary and Mitch for updates and check on the other S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel.

He got up for a stretch shortly after eleven and dropped by Hillary’s work station.

“How’s it going?” he asked her.

“Well, in the last twenty minutes since you asked me that question,” said Hillary, “the State Highway Patrol has called to inform me that they have extra vehicles out on the roads everywhere from Sierra Vista to Flagstaff.”

“Good.”

“They will call us the minute they find anything.”

“Good. Now how about the eurekaite deposit in Payson. Have they upped the security for that?”

“Good question. DHS said they’d talk to the Forest Service about that, but they’re not very concerned since Hydra hasn’t really been back there since November.”

“Well, there’s a chance that they will go back, now that the Avengers aren’t around to scare them away again. Might you make that clear to Homeland Security?”

“I could. People seem to think that the Accords will take care of Hydra.”

Swill sniffed. “If people think Hydra is finished, they’re sadly mistaken. Look what happened yesterday.”

“Thank you, Cory,” said Marcie.

“No, he has a point,” said Mitch. “Cap had Hydra mostly taken care of before last week, but as soon as the Accords came up the Avengers were limited, and now Hydra thinks can do whatever they want. If you ask me, this is not how you stop the bad guys.”

Swill looked over at Mitch in surprise.

“I didn’t say I dismissed the Accords entirely,” Mitch clarified. “I only meant--”

“I see how it is,” said Swill, backing down. 

Hillary looked back up at Coulson.

“Anyway,” she said.

“Keep me posted,” said Coulson. He walked around the room to visit with Rebecca. He then popped briefly into Parsons’ office before returning to his own.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. staff had some peace and quiet for the next few minutes, talking and joking occasionally. But then Coulson came out of his office. Hillary looked up when she heard the door open and turned around. He was walking right toward her computer. She had never seen him look more scared.

“What is it?” she asked him.

“Pull up the S.H.I.E.L.D. login page for me,” said Coulson in a gravelly voice. Mitch got out of his seat and stood next to Hillary and Coulson as Coulson logged into his work email. Swill, Marcie, and Clay got up to stand around Hillary’s computer. 

The first message in Coulson’s inbox was an email with no return address and no subject line. He opened it to reveal an attached video. With a shaking hand on the mouse he hit play and turned up the volume. A broad, square-jawed man with blond hair was talking.

“No doubt you know who this is, but for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Erich Kuhler. The High Command has appointed me to oversee Hydra’s operations in the desert southwest, specifically in the Phoenix area. To the Tempe office of S.H.I.E.L.D. I wish to say congratulations. You have successfully shut down all of Hydra’s attempts to rebuild out of Arizona. But as of last night, all of your efforts have been rendered futile. The High Command has ordered us to begin anew, and they have liberated us from your pathetic prisons so that we may carry out its goals.”

Rebecca heard the audio from over at her desk. She stopped what she was doing and came over to join her coworkers.

“You were warned, Director Coulson, that Hydra would be building a Resurgence,” the recording of Kuhler continued. “Perhaps you thought that the Avengers had destroyed the last remnants of Hydra, and that they would keep us from returning.” Kuhler looked like he was trying hard not to smile. “Your companions and agents are valiant, but they will be no match for our renewed might. As for your assistant, Hillary Tanner--like Helmut Zemo, she has tried to take control of a force she cannot understand. The Asset was not lawfully hers, any more than it was his.”

Hillary clamped a hand over her mouth.

“I hope she has learned the hard way by now, that the Asset does not belong with a normal family. He has no place in the world. But as Hydra steps forth to take the resources it needs for the Resurgence, we will ensure that Agent Tanner--and all of her family--suffer the consequences for showing kindness to the so-called ‘Winter Soldier.’ If he is still alive, we will find him and we will bend him to our will once again. We will grant him one form of mercy: we will see to it that his family never lives to see him restored to his rightful place.

“I know you must be frightened by my threats. I know you think you can stand up to us. But the time for the Resurgence has come. Hydra will return greater and more terrible than ever before. You will try to fight, but you will fail. Arrest or kill one of our agents, and two more will come out of the shadows to destroy you. Cut off one head, two more will take its place. Heil Hydra!”

The video ended.

Agent Clay swore at the top of his lungs.

“How dare they!” said Mitch.

Coulson was holding on to Hillary’s shoulder. 

Agent Parsons stormed out of his office. “What did I miss? What’s going on?”

“Do we replay this, Coulson?” asked Swill, leaning forward to touch the mouse and press repeat.

“No--Doug, I already forwarded this to you in your email.”

“What is it?” asked Parsons.

“A death threat--to Hillary. And her family,” said Marcie.

“A death threat to all of us,” said Clay.

“Give me a moment, you guys,” said Parsons. He returned to his office. In the meantime, Hillary sat down on her chair, speechless.

“Are you gonna be okay, Hillary?” asked Swill. Hillary didn’t respond.

Coulson paced away from the group while the others chatted.

“They threatened Hillary’s family--will they go after our families, too?” asked Clay.

“He didn’t say,” said Rebecca. “But most of us aren’t from this area originally, right?”

Marcie raised her hand slowly. “My family lives here.”

Swill rubbed his eyelids. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” He straightened up. “Really, though, are we really going to let them intimidate us?”

“Are there enough of the Avengers left after the Accords that the UN could send us help?” asked Marcie.

Swill huffed. “Do you think they’d send us help in the first place?”

“Cory, I’ve told you already twice, this is a legitimate threat--”

“I would rather get Captain America to help us. Where is he?”

“We don’t know,” said Rebecca.

“He’s dropped off the radar, he’s not in any position to give us help--” Marcie began.

Parsons burst into the room again.

“All right, team, things just escalated.” He put his hands on his hips. “I suggest we all calm down and discuss this rationally. Agent Tanner, we will discuss measures for protecting your family later. In the meantime, how do we address this? Got any ideas?”

“We should call Secretary Ross and inform him personally,” said Marcie. “He would understand our situation. It’s an emergency, right?”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Coulson said. “Ross doesn’t know the difference between the people trying to do the right thing and the real terrorists. He won’t let the Avengers help us. No one will. And they’re scattered to the four winds anyway, after that fiasco in Germany.”

Hillary looked up at Coulson. “It took you that long to make up your mind? You don’t support the Accords?”

“To be honest, I never did,” said Coulson. “If the circumstances were different--if the people in charge weren’t bending over backwards to keep the Avengers from doing their job--if the bill itself had more transparency to it--I might be more inclined to support it. I kept hoping it would turn out to be what we needed, and it didn’t. The whole thing has just been rushed, botched and poorly handled.”

“But you know the Accords are only trying to protect innocent civilians, right?” asked Clay.

“I have yet to see that happen. If we want to protect innocent civilians, we’re on our own. The Accords prohibit us from fighting enhanced terrorists, but we may not have a choice if we want to stop Hydra--if we want to keep ourselves, our families, any of us safe.”

Clay sighed and folded his arms. “Here we go again.”

“So what are you suggesting we do?” asked Parsons.

“I’ll tell you what I’d like to do,” Coulson said, smirking. “I’d like to capture a few of those Hydra people ourselves, then call up Ross and see if he’d trade us for the Avengers.”

“He has them in custody?” asked Marcie.

“I’ve said too much already,” said Coulson. “But the point is, even if nothing had come of that airport skirmish, they wouldn’t be in a position to help us. We can’t call them for help. We’re on our own. And if we sit here and do nothing, people are going to die. People have already died. You know that.” Coulson looked into the faces of each of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. “If you want to fight a terrorist, you don’t do that by removing the terrorist’s incentive. You don’t do that by pretending every civilian you come across could be a threat. You remove the terrorist. The answer is not to fall back but to fight back. We start by finding out where they’re located. Then we take them out.”

“Yes, but what about Agent Tanner’s family?” asked Parsons. “The security measures we already have in place may not be enough to protect them.”

Coulson looked down at Hillary. “Then, for their own safety, we will have to hide them elsewhere.”

“Where at?” Hillary asked.

“Anywhere but the Phoenix area,” said Coulson. “Out of state, at the very least. There’s not much S.H.I.E.L.D. can do, but we can compensate them for travel expenses. We’ll work out the details later, Hillary. Right now, we need to call and inform the CIA and State law enforcement and whoever else can help us to tell them about Hydra’s plans. We need to have them on our side. We will do whatever it takes to keep the Resurgence from happening.”

After that, Coulson and Parsons gave out assignments to Marcie, Swill, Clay, and Rebecca. Mitch was assigned to help them. Parsons wanted to take Hillary aside to talk about protecting her family, but then Coulson decided that they should all break for lunch first. He ordered sandwiches from Jimmy Johns for everyone. Hillary had felt hungry earlier, but when she unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite she realized she couldn’t eat. It was only at Coulson’s insistence that she finished about half the sandwich while sitting at her desk--she would eat the rest later, she told Coulson when he took her into Parsons’ office. 

“I’ve already called Agent Neil,” said Parsons once the door was closed. “But I take it you haven’t informed your parents yet.”

“No, I haven’t,” said Hillary, her lips barely parting.

“Hillary, I hate to say this, but this development isn’t at all surprising,” said Coulson as he paced around the room. 

“Why do you say that?”

“‘One Asset to Rule them All.’ Kearns was joking when he said that last year but he was right. There’s a good reason they were so protective of him. Hydra decreed that no one, except for the handlers, would ever be allowed to see the face of the Winter Soldier and live. Because no one could ever treat him like a person. Whoever has Bucky’s trust, Bucky will follow them. It has just been proven true in the case of Steve, but it has always been true for you--and your family.”

“Because they used the Asset to change the course of history,” said Hillary. “To kill the people they didn’t like.”

Coulson looked at her grimly. “How has your family not been killed before now?”

Hillary looked at her lap. “Well...they didn’t know we’d had him until after he was gone. Not for sure. They sent Morris to find him after he’d gone to Denver but we took care of him.”

“And until now I don’t think Hydra has had the resources to go after your family,” said Parsons, seated at his desk. “It doesn’t make sense for them to go after your family--unless they think there’s a chance he could go back.”

Hillary looked up at Coulson. “Do you think that means they know where he is? Does that mean he’s all right?”

“I don’t know what it could mean,” said Coulson, pausing in his pacing. “I think this is mostly Hydra moving to assert its power. You know what I mean?”

“The last time Hydra killed someone close to Bucky they got told not to come back for seconds,” said Hillary. “It could also mean he’s not capable of hurting them anymore.”

“Obviously,” said Coulson.

“I think that’s more likely to be the case,” said Parsons. “Either he’s still occupied fighting Zemo with Cap or he’s somehow out of commission.”

“Hydra denies giving Zemo any orders recently,” said Coulson. “But regardless, Cap and Bucky being out of the picture has certainly given them an advantage. If they do come back,” he said, looking over his shoulder at Hillary, “they will not want anyone to stand in their way.”

“But other than harboring Bucky, my family hasn’t done anything to threaten Hydra,” said Hillary.

“If there is one thing evil always fears, it is the power of love.” Coulson paused. “I’m sorry if that sounded--”

“No, it’s all right,” said Hillary, waving a hand in pardon. But she looked down at the floor, breathing quietly.

Coulson bent down to her eye level. “Hillary,” he said. “Look at me.” She looked at him. “Hillary, you haven’t done anything wrong, and your family hasn’t done anything wrong. But they are in grave danger. I don’t want them to get hurt by Hydra. I know you don’t either.” Coulson stood up straight.

Hillary exhaled. “So who has to go?

“Well, we can count on your aunts and uncles and cousins being safe,” said Coulson. “I doubt any of them would be close enough to Bucky for Hydra to take an interest in them.”

“What about Uncle Kenny?”

“Oh--we’ll keep an eye on him,” said Coulson. “But as for your immediate family--your parents especially. They need to leave. They can go out of town for a week--you have family living out-of-state, right? And your siblings with their spouses and children, hm, how close were they to Bucky?”

“Not that close,” said Hillary. “But he still interacted with them at our family dinners on Sunday, and he would run errands down to Greg’s shop sometimes when he worked at the garage.”

Coulson furrowed his brow in thought.

“I’d say get them out of town just in case,” Parsons spoke up. “They all have young children, right? You wouldn’t want anything to happen to them.”

“You’re right,” said Hillary. “But it’s going to be hard to ask them to take time off from work and school to go into hiding. And how long are we talking about here? A week? A month?”

“A few days, at least,” said Coulson. “But they need to be careful--tell them to tell as few people as possible where they’ve gone. Work supervisors, teachers--only say something if absolutely necessary. We need to keep this quiet. Just tell them to say something came up and they had to go out of town. Hopefully it won’t look suspicious.”

“Okay. And the guys who work at my dad’s garage, they knew Bucky pretty well, too. Should we warn them to go into hiding as well?”

“I don’t think Hydra is concerned with them,” said Parsons. “And it would draw more attention to them if your dad’s business closes down while he’s gone.”

“And my grandma? She’s in a nursing home.”

“Your other extended relatives can look after her. Agent Neil will see to the security arrangements.” 

“How about my brother Cody in Utah?”

“I imagine that he’s far enough away that Hydra won’t be concerned with him,” said Parsons. Hillary didn’t like her bosses talking about her family like this, judging them as if they were pieces of meat or unexploded bombs.

“Hugh Morris probably remembers him,” Hillary reminded them.

“Good point,” said Parsons.

“I should think as long as he stays where he’s at he won’t be in trouble,” said Coulson. “Last time I checked Hydra didn’t have anything going on in Utah.”

“Well, check again, just in case,” said Hillary. 

“So what about your boyfriend?” asked Parsons.

Hillary looked at him. “Do you think Hydra considers him a threat, too?”

“He did meet Bucky once,” said Coulson.

“Once,” said Hillary. 

“But you’re the one that Mark’s close to,” Parsons pointed out. “And Hydra sees you as a threat. Your relationship status is on your Facebook profile, isn’t it?”

Hillary’s face fell. “Oh...right.”

“And there’s the fact that Jamie Sneld knew you both in S.H.I.E.L.D. school,” said Coulson. “She wouldn’t hesitate to tell Hydra about him.” 

“It’s not like she knows much--”

“We can’t be too careful about this, Hillary,” said Coulson. “Besides, didn’t Mark get something important via owl post a couple of weeks ago?”

“What did he get via owl post, Coulson?” asked Parsons.

“It’s a personal matter between me and Hillary,” said Coulson. “But Mark could be in danger.”

“Right.”

“So what are you going to do, then?”

“I am going to call Mark,” said Hillary. “I’ll call everyone in my family and tell them what they need to do. I’ll take care of it, boss.”

“You do that,” said Coulson. “But if they need to make excuses to their employers, have them call me on my personal cell.”

“I’ll do that.” Hillary rose solemnly to her feet. Coulson took the door to Parsons’ office and opened it for her. 

The first thing she did when she got back to her desk was call Mark on the off-chance that he wasn’t busy. She got voicemail, so she left him a voice message and sent him a text telling him to call her at his first opportunity. Next she called her mother. Jo was babysitting Mike and Susan’s children and at the moment was trying to feed something to a squirming Joey. Hillary got the jist of it across to her and told her they would talk more later that night. Her father was also occupied, so she sent him a text. It was with her oldest brother, Mike, that she had her first real discussion about the death threat on the Tanner family. Mike was fortunately having a slow day at work and he asked Hillary detailed questions--Hillary gave him as complete answers as she could. Mike said he would talk to his boss and request time off and call Susan at his first opportunity.

Hillary next called her brother Jon, but he was unable to answer the phone. Hillary called his wife Marie as well but she didn’t respond. Hillary left voice and text messages with both of them. Hillary stopped to do a quick favor for Agent Swill and then was about to pick up her phone to dial Julia when her phone rang. It was Mark.

“Hey, you said you wanted to talk to me,” said Mark. 

“Yes, yes I did,” said Hillary. 

“What’s up?”

“Well,” Hillary paused and swallowed. “Hydra sent Coulson a video message this morning. Now that they have everyone we captured out of prison they’re going to   
start rebuilding here in Arizona--and they’re going to start by killing my family.”

“What?” Mark exclaimed. Hillary heard papers rustling on the other end. 

“Yes, you heard me right,” said Hillary. “Hydra says they want to punish us for harboring Bucky.”

Mark was quiet for a moment. “Well...does that mean that they’ve found him or recaptured him or--”

“I don’t know what it means,” said Hillary. “All I know for sure is Hydra means business. I don’t think they’re just trying to scare us. And I think there’s a reasonable chance that Hydra could go after you. I told you Jamie Sneld joined Hydra, right?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s with the group that helped get their agents out of prison last night.”

“Yikes. So what are you going to do, then?”

“I’m in the middle of calling everybody up--my parents and my brothers and my sister. Coulson thinks they should get out of town until we get this cleared up. And he thinks you should go too.”

Mark paused again. “But what about you? What is S.H.I.E.L.D. going to do?”

“I don’t know,” said Hillary. “I guess we find them and put a stop to whatever they’re doing.”

“And how long could that take?”

“A few days to a week. Maybe longer.”

“Well, Hillary, I can’t go into hiding forever.”

“I know you can’t. I’m sorry it’s come to this--”

“No, it’s all right.”

“I just want you to be safe.”

“I know you do. I’ll talk to my boss as soon as I get the chance. How soon do I need to leave town?”

“As soon as humanly possible.”

“And how far away do I need to go?”

“As far away as you’d like.”

“Well...hopefully I can find a place close enough so I can zip back when this is over.”

Hillary smiled. “I hope so too. I’ll call you after work tonight.”

“You do that. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Hillary sighed heavily as she hung up the phone. She checked her email and then called her sister. Julia did not answer the phone and Hillary had to leave her a message. But not even two minutes after she’d hung up the phone Julia called her back.

“I’m sorry I missed your call, sis,” said Julia. “I was changing Kate’s diaper.” 

Hillary almost wanted to cry. “That’s okay,” Hillary answered hurriedly, pushing back her emotions.

“What’s happening?”

Hillary explained to Julia the death threat from Hydra. Julia took it rather calmly, and they had a brief discussion about the measures S.H.I.E.L.D. was taking to counter the threat. Julia didn’t say much when Hillary told her that she and Greg needed to take Kate and go out of town for a few days. She said she would talk to Greg about it and would call Hillary when they decided where to go.

After that, Hillary tried calling Jon and Marie again. Neither of them responded to her messages. She decided to go back to doing paperwork for a while and try again later. Jon sent her a text at five o’clock, right when she was getting ready to leave. Everyone else was staying late to help Coulson and Parsons, but Coulson asked her to go home to talk to her family. Hillary called Jon briefly to explain the situation. He said he would talk to Marie and his boss and get ready to leave. Most likely they would go to her parents’ house in Utah.

When Hillary got home, she was tired physically and emotionally. She started to pull out leftovers from the fridge but her mother made her sit down at the table while she made Hillary dinner. Hillary talked over the situation with her parents. They were understanding of her frustration. So far, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t been able to get a location on Hydra’s hideout. It could take weeks before they found anything, Hillary warned them.

“So then S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t protect us and look for Hydra at the same time?” Trey asked.

“We can’t,” said Hillary. “Not in this kind of a situation. We’d love to call in the Avengers and help, you know, like back in the day, but as of late the Avengers are fighting each other and everything that could possibly go wrong for them is going wrong.”

“Do you know what happened to them after their brawl in Germany?”

“Coulson says they’re in custody--somewhere. He’s not saying where. Hopefully nothing too harsh.”

Jo was thoughtful for a moment. “I would think, considering the attitude that the world has taken towards the Avengers of late, they might not be inclined to treating them nicely.”

Trey sighed. “You can’t fight fire with fire.”

“No, you can’t,” said Hillary. “But you fight evil with good. That’s our best hope right now.”

There was a knock on the back door. Hillary got up and answered it. It was Mark. Jo offered Mark some leftovers but he declined, saying he wasn’t hungry. Hillary knew Mark well enough to know better and convinced him to get some casserole. Hillary and Mark continued the discussion with Hillary’s parents. Jo and Trey had decided to go to Utah to stay with Jo’s cousin, and while there they would visit Cody.

“If it’s not too much to ask, Trey,” said Mark, swallowing, “might I go with you?”

“Have you been able to get time off work, son?” asked Trey.

“I’m still working on it. My boss isn’t convinced that I need to take an impromptu vacation. I’ve only told him that I need to go out of town to visit my brother Scott in Utah.”

“Have you tried telling him the truth?” asked Trey.

“I’m not sure I’m allowed to do that,” Mark said, looking at Hillary. 

“I think your boss needs to talk to my boss,” said Hillary with a small smile. 

Mark and Hillary had a long talk that night, discussing a little bit their feelings about the current situation but mostly, in an attempt to cheer themselves, sharing their thoughts on their future marriage and family. Hillary wanted to ask him if he’d gotten the ring yet, or if he was hoping to anytime soon, but she decided not to worry about it. She also contemplated asking him about Coulson’s--or rather Emily’s--lightsaber. She was surprised that Mark hadn’t mentioned it by now.

Mike and Susan called later that night to say that they had decided to go to California to visit Susan’s parents. They would leave first thing in the morning. Hillary advised Mike to avoid driving on I-10 west since that was close to one of the prisons that Hydra’s agents had escaped from. So the next morning, right before Hillary went to work, Mike and Susan and their three children drove north through Flagstaff before heading west. 

 

Tuesday afternoon, Maddie was coloring on a blank sheet of paper when the intercom came on. She thought she heard her name. Then her teacher, Mrs. Duelm, called to her.

“Your parents are here to pick you up. Can you put away your things?”

“Yes, Mrs. Duelm,” said Maddie. She put her crayons and writing utensils back in their box and placed her box in the corner of her space on the table, beside her name tag. She put some of her papers from the day in her folder and put that in her backpack, but she kept out the page she had been coloring--she wanted her parents to see that. 

Her classmates said goodbye to her. Mrs. Duelm took Maddie by one hand and led her out of her kindergarten classroom down the hallway to the office--Maddie kept her drawing in the other. Her parents had already signed her out and were waiting for her by the front doors of the school. She ran to hug her parents. Her father, Jon Tanner, bent down to embrace her but then stood up again. Maddie hugged the leg of her pregnant mother Marie--she would worry about getting a proper hug later. Her brother Tayson was pulling on the end of Marie’s finger.

“So what’s the occasion, might I ask?” asked Mrs. Duelm.

“We’re leaving town for a few days,” said Jon. “Going up to see Marie’s parents.”

“Oh. Maddie hasn’t said anything about you going on vacation.”

“Well, it is sort-of at the last minute,” said Marie. 

“Do you know when you’ll be back?”

“We’re not sure,” said Jon. “In fact, you shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t make it back before school gets out. Even if we do come before Memorial Day we’ll   
probably keep her out of school. There’s no point in sending her back, it’ll only be a few extra days.”

“I understand,” said Mrs. Duelm, shaking her head. “And she’s not missing much as far as classwork. Well, have fun.” Mrs. Duelm bent down to speak to Maddie. 

“Maddie, you have fun on vacation with your parents, okay?”

“Vacation? Summer vacation’s not until June! It’s still May!” She looked up at her parents in confusion.

“Maddie, there’s bad people who might be trying to hurt us,” said Marie gravely, patting her baby bump. “So we’re going to see Grandma and Grandpa Cloward for a few days. All right?”

“I don’t want to go see Grandma and Grandpa Cloward! I’m going to miss Field Day!”

“Maddie, I don’t want to see you throwing a temper tantrum in front of your teacher,” said Jon sternly.

“Mrs. Duelm, I don’t want to go. Can I stay?”

“No, Maddie, I’m afraid you need to do what your daddy says. I enjoyed having you in my class this year. You be good. I have to go back to the classroom now. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Mrs. Duelm.” Maddie watched dejectedly as Maddie turned and left. 

Tayson mumbled incoherently as Marie tried to keep him from wandering away.

Maddie remembered the sheet of paper in her hands. “Mommy, Daddy, look what I drew today!” She passed the drawing to her mother.

“What is it?” asked Marie.

“Let me see,” said Jon, leaning in for a closer look. The crudely-drawn picture depicted a curly-haired little girl holding hands with a man with wild hair wearing a baseball cap.

“It’s me and Aunt Hillary’s friend Bucky! Remember Bucky? Mommy?” Maddie looked at her parents’ faces, hoping to see their approval. But instead, they were both frowning. “Mommy? Daddy?”

Jon sighed and folded the paper in half.

Marie reached for her daughter’s hand. “Come on, Maddie, it’s time to go.”

“But don’t you like my picture, Daddy?”

Wordlessly, Jon tore the folded paper in half and threw the pieces into the recycling bin outside of the office. Maddie yelled. 

“NOOOO! DADDY! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?” She started crying.

“I’ll take Tayson,” said Jon, barely heard over his daughter’s screams. Marie took Maddie’s hand forcibly, but Maddie tried to tug herself away. Jon took Tayson in his arms, and the family left the school building, Maddie’s screams still echoing in the hallway, her thoughts still with the torn piece of paper in the recycle bin, her little heart confused about why her daddy would have torn up the picture she’d drawn of Aunt Hillary’s friend.

 

Tempe, Arizona

When Jo and Trey were packed and ready to go, they called Hillary. Coulson let her go home to see them before they left.

“I just got off the phone with Mark’s supervisor at the accounting firm,” Coulson told Hillary as she gathered her things. “He said he would go ahead and let Mark off work for a few days. Mark was already planning on leaving with your parents.”

“Cool,” said Hillary. 

“You know his boss is kind of insensitive. Said it might be safer for you two to break up.”

Hillary glared at Coulson.

“Well, don’t shoot the messenger.”

“I didn’t want to hear that,” said Hillary with a sigh.

“By the way,” Coulson asked Hillary as she put her purse over her shoulder, “where were you planning on staying while your family was gone?”

Hillary shrugged. “Why do you ask?”

“You know, it might not be smart to be staying there by yourself. And it’ll be lonely, too.”

“I knew that.”

“I can get you a hotel room, if you want,” said Coulson. Hillary looked at Coulson. She didn’t quite understand the look in his eyes, but the way he looked at her she thought he knew what she was going through--that he knew how she felt.

“I’ll think about it,” said Hillary. She left the office suite. 

 

Mesa, Arizona

Greg and Julia had left earlier in the day to go see Greg’s sister in Colorado. Hillary was going to miss all of her nieces and nephews, but Kate especially, she realized when she saw the picture Julia had texted of Kate sleeping in her carseat. Mark was putting his things in the car while Hillary was saying farewell to her parents.

“I’ll call you when we’ve figured out how soon we can get rid of Hydra,” Hillary told her mother. “Just plan on...being up there for a few days. A week at most. I’m sorry if I can’t tell you everything that’s going on.”

“That’s all right, sweetheart,” said Jo as she pulled her daughter in a tight embrace. “Just know...we’re proud of you and we love you.”

Hillary hugged her father. “Tell Cody I said hello--heck, give him a hug for me.” She gave her dad an extra squeeze. Trey patted his daughter’s hair. 

“We’ll miss you,” said Trey. “We just got you back from DC again, and now we’re the ones who have to leave.”

“I wish I could go with you, a little,” said Hillary. “But I’ve got a job to do.”

“I know you do,” said Jo. 

“I’ll keep an eye on the rest of the family while you’re away,” Hillary told them quietly. 

“Be sure to visit Grandma, if you get the chance,” said Trey.

“I will,” said Hillary. “I haven’t seen her in a while, anyway.”

Mark came back into the house through the kitchen door. He had brought a satchel for his personal possessions while he traveled, but rather than leaving it in the car he still had it over his shoulder. Hillary was reminded for a moment of a similar bag that Rey had in ‘The Force Awakens’ but didn’t linger on the thought.

“Are you all packed up, Mark?” Trey asked.

“Yes, sir,” said Mark, setting his satchel down on the counter. He took Hillary’s hand. The four of them--Trey and Jo, Mark and Hillary, knelt down on the living room floor and prayed, the two couples holding hands. Hillary hugged her parents a final time after they got up. Then Mark asked if he could have a word alone with Hillary.

When Mark and Hillary were alone in the living room, Mark went to the counter and opened the satchel. Hillary watched him for a moment, her heart racing--now of all times to propose? But the box he pulled out was too big for an engagement ring. Hillary gasped. It was the box that Coulson had sent the lightsaber in.

“I got a package about a week and a half ago,” said Mark, turning to face Hillary with the box in his hands. He opened it and pulled the metal cylinder out of the wrappings, and then he held it out to her slowly. “You know I can’t take this with me. I already have a big enough of a target on my head.”

“I am so sorry,” said Hillary. “I should never have sent it to you.”

“No, it’s all right,” said Mark. He held out the lightsaber to Hillary. Hillary took it, their hands touching on the cold metal. “I was honored, in fact. But, really, I can’t keep this. I don’t know how to use it. Besides, you knew Emily better than I did.”

“Mark, please, we don’t need--”

“There’s something else I want to talk to you about,” Mark cut her off.

“Oh.”

“Hillary, your dad and I are going to have the ‘talk’ on the way up to Utah--to formally ask him for your hand in marriage. I’m pretty sure your mom will be in on the discussion, too.”

“Yes,” Hillary nodded. Hillary was holding on to the lightsaber now, and she kept it in one hand while she hugged Mark. She and Mark stood there in the silent house for a few moments and talked quietly about their beliefs on life after death and on the nature of marriage and their willingness to commit to each other. They made each other promises there that do not need to be spelled out in detail in this story. It is enough to say that even though they were not formally married, from that moment on they belonged to each other.

When that was done, they stood back for a moment and looked at each other. 

Mark sighed. “I should probably go.”

“I should let you go,” said Hillary.

“But I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

They leaned their faces together and kissed on the mouth. It lasted for a good five seconds. It wasn’t quite what Hillary had thought her first real kiss would be like. But it was enough. She could now say she’d kissed him. They hugged one more time.

“When you get back, we should do some proper snogging,” said Hillary with a slight giggle.

“I agree,” said Mark. “I should go.”

Hillary pecked him quickly on the cheek--rather anticlimactic after their kiss a minute ago. “Drive safe.”

“We’ll do. Good luck fighting Hydra.”

“Thanks. We’ll need it.”

Mark walked through the kitchen and utility room and out the back door. Hillary stayed standing where she was, with that lightsaber in her hands, until she heard her parents’ suburban turning on and pulling out of the driveway. 

A house emptied of the people you love is never a home. Hillary decided she would leave. She went to her room and packed a few days’ worth of clothes and grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom. She would ask the Neils to feed the fish and look after Mudder. She took one glance over her shoulder at the picture of Bucky on the piano and left.

Love doesn't discriminate  
Between the sinners  
And the saints  
It takes and it takes and it takes  
And we keep loving anyway  
We laugh and we cry  
And we break  
And we make our mistakes  
And if there's a reason I'm by her side  
When so many have tried  
Then I'm willing to wait for it  
I'm willing to wait for it  
~Hamilton

 

Tempe, Arizona

Coulson was in the main part of the office suite when Hillary returned. She asked to speak with him privately in his temporary office. 

“What is it?” he asked her.

Hillary still had her purse on her shoulder, and something was weighing it down. She unslung her bag and reached into it. “Mark didn’t think it was a good idea for him to keep it any longer--and frankly I don’t think I’d have much use for it, either.” She held out the lightsaber to Coulson.

Coulson took it. He didn’t say anything, but he knew that he was going to have to use it in the coming days.


	11. Arizona Rising

Mesa, Arizona

It was strange, being in Mesa without her parents being there or without staying at her own house. Her hotel was all right--the continental breakfast was usually her best meal of the day, since for lunch and dinner she either scavenged snacks in the break room or went out for fast food. Her parents and Mark were having   
a wonderful time in Utah. They texted occasionally during the day but called and skyped in the evening. 

Hydra did attempt an incursion into Hillary’s neighborhood the following weekend: a squad of about ten agents armed to the teeth was caught in a back alley a few blocks away. The police arrested all but two of them, and half of those arrested took cyanide. It was enough to make Hillary glad no one was home, but guilty for the friends and neighbors in harm’s way.

After several days of intense interrogation, one of the mooks who was captured alive revealed the location of Hydra’s main hideout: an unused office building in Peoria. They had other locations, he hinted, but the man didn’t know where they were. Chances were, Coulson thought, Hydra would guess that their captured agents would spill the beans and move house, but a scouting mission by one of Cory Swill’s drones revealed that Hydra was actually staying put. It was most likely a trap, but it could also be an opportunity to strike a blow against Hydra and begin dismantling the Resurgence.

It wasn’t until S.H.I.E.L.D. had the location for the base pinned down that Hillary found time to visit Grandma Agnes, a week after her parents had left. She realized it would probably be the last thing she would ever do for herself on her free time, if worse came to worst tomorrow. She went by herself after she got off work in the late afternoon. 

Grandma Agnes was lying on her bed, too tired to sit up after a recent illness. The TV was playing in the background and Hillary was having a hard time not watching--it was just more news about other superhumans in the world taking Captain America’s lead and defying the Accords.

“How are you, my dear?” Agnes said quietly when Hillary had sat down next to the bed.

“I’m doing fine,” Hillary answered. 

“What are you doing for work these days?” Agnes didn’t always remember what S.H.I.E.L.D. was.

“I’m...still working for the government,” said Hillary. “I am...working with people in the community...to stop bad things from happening to good people. I’m   
protecting people. It’s kind of like the police, except more...we do more difficult things.”

“That is not the proper career for a young woman. You could be hurt.”

“I’m out of harm’s way for the most part,” said Hillary, lying a bit between her teeth. “It’s mostly desk work, especially these days.”

Agnes nodded slowly. “And have you been dating any young men recently?”

“Yes, I have. You’ve met Mark Lawson, haven’t you? He’s been my friend since I went to S.H.I.E.L.D. school in D.C., and he moved out here about a year ago. He works as an accountant. And...he’s going to ask me to marry him, very soon.” Hillary reached out to her grandmother’s hand and touched it.

“I hope you two are maintaining the proper boundaries in your relationship,” said Agnes, nodding. “No kissing, no touching except for holding hands. I should think that your mother raised you to behave properly.”

“Yes, Grandma,” said Hillary. “Mark and I have set boundaries.”

“Good. Don’t change them, even if you do get engaged. And when you are married, hopefully he has a good enough job so that you will no longer need to work. A woman’s place is to stay in the home with her children.”

“Yes, Grandma,” Hillary nodded. Her grandmother’s dementia had been steadily worsening over the last year and it was no longer a good idea to argue with her about her ideas. “Mark will take care of me.”

“Do you play the piano these days?” 

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t had the chance,” said Hillary, shaking her head and smiling.

“Well, do play some hymns for me, when you find a moment,” said Agnes. 

Hillary continued the stilted conversation as best she could for a few more minutes. Finally she stood up to leave.

“I have to go now, Grandma. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay for very long. You get some rest now.”

“I will. I sleep more than enough these days.” Agnes gave a weak chuckle.

Hillary took her grandmother’s hand once again. “I love you, Grandma.”

Agnes’ eyelids fluttered heavily. Hillary let go of Agnes’ hand and turned to leave the room. But then, as she was about to open the door, she heard her grandmother speaking up.

“Hillary!”

“Yes, Grandma.”

“That young man--the filthy hobo your parents kept around--he’s a terrorist. If you see him again, throw him out in the street. Give him to the police.”  
Hillary wasn’t going to say anything to that. She opened the door.

“Hillary, don’t leave me without promising that you’ll do that.”

“Grandma,” said Hillary, turning around slowly to face her, “you don’t have to believe everything you hear on the news. They’re not right a hundred percent of the time. I have to go. Goodbye.”

Hillary closed the door before the old woman could say anything else. She hated to say farewell to Grandma Agnes on that note--particularly if it was goodbye in just in case.

 

Tempe, Arizona

The morning of the day of the attack, Coulson, Mitch and Hillary spent a few hours doing final preparations with the Arizona S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Everyone came to work dressed in their combat clothes. Wearing long, all-black clothes was a mistake in that climate under other circumstances, and everyone had their shirtsleeves rolled up for the moment. Mitch had also attempted rolling his pants as well, but they weren’t staying.

“If we live through this, I’m going to take a six-hour shower when this is over,” said Swill.

“On that we can agree,” said Parsons, standing over his work station as he supervised Swill’s drones.

Agent Dave Kearns had come back to work on Monday. He was high on painkillers and unable to move a lot, but he was ready to kick butt even if he had to do it from an office--he would be supervising combat operations remotely with Rebecca.

The team sat down in the conference room before lunch break.

“If I wasn’t in so much (expletive) pain I would still go out there even if you didn’t let me, boss,” Kearns told Parsons and the rest of the team when they’d finished discussing logistics for the op. “I don’t care about getting killed, as long as I make Hydra pay for breaking my leg.”

“Honestly, I admire your spirit, Kearns,” said Hillary. “That’s the kind of courage we’ll all need today--even if we’re staying behind. Sometimes doing mission control remotely is worse.”

“You can say that again,” said Mitch.

Hillary smirked. “After all you and Romanoff put me through last fall. But anyway, if if I’ve learned this much from working at S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s that you have to stay strong when you’re in the thick of it. When you get knocked down, you get back up. You go back to work like nothing ever happened. The pain is still there, but it’s not important.”

Marcie looked across the table at her with a slight smile--she knew that Hillary was speaking from experience. 

“Sound like something Captain America would say, if he were here,” said Clay with a smirk.

Hillary glanced over her shoulder at Coulson--he nodded at her with approval.

“Well, thanks,” said Hillary. “I suppose it’s what we need to hear in any event--”

“I wasn’t giving you a compliment, Tanner,” said Clay. “Not after that stunt you pulled with Barnes, hiding him under our noses.”

“Excuse me,” Swill spoke up.

“That’s not important right now,” Parsons cut them off. “You heard her. It’s not the time for fear to dominate our actions. It’s not the time for our petty resentments to change how we treat each other. It doesn’t matter whose side you’re on, or which team you support, or even what you think of the Winter Soldier--even though I think both he and Rogers need to be canned.” Hillary scowled at him. “Hydra is here, and they need to be stopped. And they will be stopped: by us. Because the Avengers can’t do that for us anymore. S.H.I.E.L.D. was protecting the world on its own and doing a pretty good job of it before the Avengers were even thought of. If there’s one thing I hate about superheroes, it’s that ordinary people see them as an excuse to stop sticking up for themselves. But ordinary people have extraordinary stuff in them, too. Where do you think the superheroes came from? Who were Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes before Erskine and Zola found them? Who was Tony Stark before the Iron Man suit--aside from being a pigheaded billionaire, of course? Who was Clint Barton before S.H.I.E.L.D. found him? Superheroes aren’t super unless they put their talents and abilities to use. Heroes--whether or not they’re super--they’re ordinary people who rise to the occasion. And that’s just who we are, if we can get this job done. And we can.” Parsons looked at each of the agents in turn, his own staff as well as Coulson and his assistants.

“If I may,” Coulson spoke up. “Doug, I agree with everything you’ve just said--including the jab at Stark.” Everyone laughed quietly. “But the point is, our actions speak louder than our words and our opinions. When Captain Rogers visited you guys last December, he had nothing but good to say about you, because of how valiantly you had fought against Hydra in the past. It is time for S.H.I.E.L.D.--it is time for Arizona S.H.I.E.L.D., specifically--to stand up to them once again. So let’s go out and do this. I know you’re scared, but I need you to think of what’s at stake here. Your homes, your families, your freedoms--Hydra could take away all of that if we let them. I need not remind you of what they’ve already done, and what they’ve threatened to do. I’ll tell you what we’re going to do: we’re going to show Hydra that we give a crap about our loved ones and our lives. We don’t need to wait for the government to say we can do that, or that some oddly-approved team of superhumans can do that for us. Let’s show them--let’s show the world that we care about saving people and stopping the bad guys. Because sure as heck nobody else does.”

“You said it,” said Swill. Everyone in the room clapped briefly. Parsons dismissed everyone to eat a quick lunch and get ready.

Hillary managed to eat a hot pocket from the communal stash in the breakroom fridge. Then she went to the bathroom one more time before getting in the S.H.I.E.L.D. car with Coulson. Looking at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, she wondered if she had lived a good enough life that she could go to the afterlife with a clear conscience, if that was the case. She knew she hadn’t been perfect. But she knew it wasn’t her place to condemn herself for her own faults. She had done well enough. If she died today, she would die protecting her home and her family, and that in itself counted for something.

She went to her desk and opened the photo album on her phone. She found the picture of Bucky taking her to the New Year’s Dance almost a year and a half ago now and looked at it for a moment, thought on the memories she had of Bucky.

I promise you, wherever you are, she said in her heart, I’m doing this for you, too. You are a part of my family. And you will have a safe place to come home to.

“Tanner, are you ready to go?” Parsons asked her, walking past her desk.

Hillary put her phone down: she wouldn’t need it, where they were going. “I’m coming.”

She was the last person to leave the S.H.I.E.L.D. office--Rebecca and Kearns would be working from a Peoria police station. She had a last look before stepping out the door, and she turned out the lights.

 

Peoria, Arizona

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team’s van parked in a back alley two blocks away from the building Hydra used for its base--they could see it over the tops of the other buildings nearby. They were met by special task force sent by local police and the SWAT team--some people on the SWAT team remembered S.H.I.E.L.D. from the operation the previous March. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team donned bullletproof vests and arm and leg guards similar to children’s roller skating pads, and they put on extra belts for guns and ammo. Hillary helped Mitch and Swill to suit up and assisted Parsons in checking his assault rifle. She noticed that Coulson had finished preparing before anyone else and was standing away from the group, pacing. He was fingering something that bulged out of a pocket in his pants. He wore a beaten-up leather jacket.

The teams split up into two groups. Parsons, Mitch, Clay, and Marcie would lead a group to the main entrance of the commandeered office building. Coulson, Swill, and Hillary would take a secret entrance that Swill had found via drone. They set off in groups of no more than five people each, taking long, winding routes down the back streets and alleys led by police special ops. They took great care to not be seen on the main streets. Only halfway there, and everyone was hot and sweaty from the extra clothes and equipment. 

Coulson’s group came in sight of the rear of Hydra’s building after a ten-minute hike that would have taken a civilian four minutes. Swill spotted the manhole and stepped out with one of the female police ops. It was smack in the center of the parking lot and Hillary was a hundred and ten percent sure that Hydra could already see them. 

“Are you sure we couldn’t do this at night, boss?” Hillary asked Coulson one last time as they waited for Swill and the cop to open the manhole. 

“I’m sure we could, but we need to take out as many of their people as we can--nobody’s there at night, remember?” Coulson told her.

“Where do they go at night?” asked a SWAT trooper named Greer.

“SHHH!” Hillary said. She glanced across the parking lot. Swill had the manhole cover open. He was motioning wildly for them to come over, but then held up a single finger.

“One at a time,” another SWAT trooper named Eagar whispered.

“You go first, Tanner,” said Coulson. “Wait for me when you get down there.”

“If there’s a place to wait,” said Hillary.

“Got your ear radio on?”

“Yes, sir.” Hillary gave him a nod. She dashed across the parking lot, her assault gun heavy in her arms. She was pretty sure at any second someone from Hydra would open one of the windows overlooking the parking lot and shoot her through the stomach. The thought motivated her to shuffle quickly across the blacktop. She arrived without incident. Swill held on to her big gun while she climbed down the manhole ladder, and then he dropped it to her. Swill told her that there was a small alcove a few feet away from where the ladder stopped. She found it and waited for Coulson and the rest of her squad to show up. Coulson jumped down when he entered the manhole. The landing was pretty jarring on his feet.

“Do you have to be so dramatic?” Hillary asked him.

“Shh! This tunnel is probably bugged,” Coulson whispered. They were silent for the rest of the wait. It took their group ten minutes, and then Swill radioed for another group to come to the “back door”, as they were calling it. Hillary kept waiting for Kearns or Rebecca to announce that Hydra was storming the sewer or that the team going to the front door had been caught. It was cool and slightly damp underground, with sewer pipes running through the ceiling of the maintenance tunnel. When everyone in Coulson’s group had arrived, they moved further down the tunnel.The came to a small, narrow passage that they had to negotiate on hands and knees: it was uncomfortable enough with all of their heavy clothes and gear but they also had to sling their rifles vertically over their backs, but the heavy guns would keep sliding diagionally and they would get stuck. When they came out their kneepads and pants were wet. Coulson checked the large pocket on his pants and fingered whatever was inside: it was obviously fragile.

“Do you think they have cameras?” Mitch whispered a they stood up.

“It’s a possibility,” said Hillary.

“It’s not very likely,” Coulson told them. “Hardly anyone uses this entrance.”

They came to a cross-tunnel and waited about fifteen minutes for the other two squads to show up. The wait was interminable for Hillary: she just wanted to get this over with. She kept adjusting and re-adjusting her vest and gear and checking her guns. Nobody talked to pass the time. One of the SWAT ops from the other squads passed around a water bottle, but what Hillary really wanted at the moment was a cold diet coke.

Swill closed the manhole and came to waiting area last. Coulson ordered the group to move forward. He led them to a maintenance door and into a small maintenance room in the basement of the building.

“Parsons, we’re in,” he announced over radio. “The next room is Hydra’s weapons arsenal,” Coulson announced, fingering the thing in his pocket again. “They might be waiting for us.” He hefted the rifle in his right hand and turned around. Two police ops walked up behind him and put charges on the door, and then stood clear until it popped open.

They entered single-file with weapons at the ready, Coulson entering first followed by Hillary. There was no one else in the room, but it was a stockpile of state-of-the-art weapons and explosives. The assault rifles were as good or better than the ones S.H.I.E.L.D. and SWAT had brought with them. There were pistols and tasers of every shape and size, knives and even swords and machetes of every size, grenades and handheld explosives.

Agent Swill spotted a cabinet against one wall and went to examine it with the female cop.

“What do you think this is, Brady?” he asked her. The cabinet was full of bottles and bags of powders and chemicals.

“Materials for making explosives,” said Officer Brady. 

A female SWAT agent came up behind them. “Look: there’s cyanide and other poisons in there. They could make biological weapons out of this stuff.”

One of the police officers noticed a large, cannon-like object in the center of the room.

“What is that?” asked one of the SWAT crew.

“A mortar,” said the cop. “Standard U.S. Army issue.”

One of the leaders of the SWAT crew was radioing his commander to inform them of what they had found. A few of the people who had come into the room with Coulson wandered around, staring in awe at the cache of weapons. Others, including Hillary, gazed suspiciously at the cracks between the cabinets and display racks, looking for some kind of opening that Hydra would come through at any moment.

“It’s so organized,” Swill commented. “They’ve had some time on their hands to put this together.”

The door on the far side of the room was unlocked. Hillary poked her head out of it with the muzzle of her rifle and looked around. It was an emergency stairwell. It was very hot in there, and there was a dry breeze. 

Coulson had a peek through the open doorway. He humphed and then went back into the arsenal. “Parsons, give me a visual on the main floor of the building. We’re in the basement.”

“Officer Trenton, Report,” Parsons called to the policeman in charge of surveillance.

“Looks pretty dark in there,” said Trenton. “I don’t see any lights on on the first floor--I don’t see any lights on anywhere else, not on this side.”

“Mayhew, get me a visual on the east side,” said the police commander, Brent.

“Nothing on the east side.”

“But yeah, it looks pretty quiet on the first floor--wait a moment, I see something,” Trenton said. “Someone moving. Several people. Second floor”

“Is that on the north side of the building?” asked Coulson.

“Yes. Where are you?”

“I think we’re on the north side,” said Swill, walking around to the door that Hillary was standing in. “Yes, this is the north stairwell.”

“Okay, Squad Three stay behind and guard the arsenal. Everyone else move out,” said Coulson. “Parsons, commence attack on the main entrance.”

“Right away, sir,” Hillary heard Parsons acknowledge over the radio. She and Coulson led their group up the stairwell. She turned off the safety of her rifle and hoped that she wouldn’t accidentally fire it before they reached the top. Officer Brady kicked the door open and began to shoot. There were five Hydra agents waiting for them in front of the door and more gathering behind them. The scene devolved into chaos within seconds.

“Get into positions!” one of the SWAT officers shouted. Hillary took up a position on the flank of the SWAT team next to Coulson and started firing. She ran out of ammo way too quickly. She got behind some of the SWAT team to reload, feeling several bullets ricochet off of her vest while she did so. 

They had evidently entered the front lobby of the abandoned business building. Across the room from the emergency stairwell was the main entrance. The glass doors and windows here suddenly burst into a trillion pieces that shot across the entire space as Parsons’ group entered. The SWAT crew with Coulson raised their riot shields to block the debris. More Hydra agents came down the main staircase fully armed--apparently they had another weapons cache upstairs.

The SWAT team and police began to pull back behind the unused furniture in the lobby and set up a barricade. Coulson told Officer Brent to take charge. 

“The leaders are upstairs. Take the main stairwell if you can and meet us there. S.H.I.E.L.D., come with me,” he instructed. He headed for the emergency stairwell.

“Brady, Smith, Miles, go with them!” Brent commanded. The SWAT commander also asked for several personnel to follow S.H.I.E.L.D. upstairs. Hillary, Mitch, Clay, Parsons, and Marcie went after Coulson, walking backwards and shooting at Hydra to keep them from following. 

Inside the stairwell, they could still hear the echoes of the gunfire in the lobby. Hillary was panting as she climbed the stairs, trying to reload her rifle as she went.

They heard a BANG from up ahead of them. Two Hydra agents came dashing down the stairs, firing guns. A bullet whizzed past Hillary’s head. One of the SWAT team who had accompanied them went down. A policeman took a bullet to the thigh. Hillary heard Marcie yell in surprise as she dropped her rifle, clutching her her left arm. Swill ran ahead of the group, firing back rapidly at the two Hydra mooks until they had both fallen. He and Coulson jumped over their bodies and led the rest of the group up the stairs. Hillary fell back to check on Marcie--her arm had been shot and she was bleeding, but pinning her left arm to one side she pulled her pistol out of the holster with her right and cocked the safety. 

They came out of the stairwell with weapons at the ready, but no one was firing back. They pointed their guns in every direction, bracing for an attack that never came. Then they heard laughter.

“You can put your guns down on this level,” said a rosy, male British voice. “Here we’re going to fight hand-to-hand.” The man speaking was short and plump and had glasses and a comb-over, but his arms were tucked into a black trenchcoat. There were six figures in black standing behind him. 

“Is most of the rest of your team downstairs?” Coulson asked him, his weapon trained on the speaker.

“Yes--but Kuhler decided to save the best of us for later.” The man shed his trenchcoat dramatically. Instead of arms, he had two long, pink, plump tentacles, complete with suckers.

Hillary and Swill dropped their guns and ran for him. The other six Hydra fighters went for the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the cops and SWAT officers who had come with them. 

Hugh Morris smiled cruelly at Hillary and Swill. Swill threw several punches at him, but in spite of his girth Morris was surprisingly agile. Those tentacles packed a punch. He swung them back and forth in the air like massive clubs--Hillary could hear the air whooshing as they went over her head. She threw him a punch in the throat and hit him square in his double chin rather than the jaw. Morris brushed her aside with his tentacles--she felt a little bit of the slime. Hillary rebounded and gave him a kick to the stomach. He fell backward, clutching his paunch. But then he caught his breath and lunged forward, grabbing Hillary around the neck with one of his tentacles.

“I think I know who you are,” said Morris. “Your little brother tried to kick me out of your house. There’s a family resemblance.”

Hillary squirmed uncomfortably in Morris’ grip. Not only were his arms strong, they were large and squishy and they secreted slime that got on Hillary’s hair and clothes. It smelled faintly of children’s bubbles and scented soap and pus from an open wound. Hillary wanted to hurl. She tried to yank the tentacle off of herself but couldn’t pry her fingers beneath it--it was bad enough touching it.

Swill went for Morris’ tentacle to try and free Hillary, but Morris pushed Swill aside with the other tentacle and then smacked him in the head. Then one of the other Hydra agents picked Swill off of the floor and threw him onto the wall. 

Coulson was locked in a tug-of-war with one of the Hydra agents over his assault rifle. He finally twisted the rifle and flipped his assailant onto the floor. Then he got up to help Hillary. He pulled a knife from a sheath on his pants and stuck it into the tentacle wrapped around Hillary’s neck. Icky pinkish blood squirted everywhere. Morris yelled. Coulson cut into the tentacle with the knife like he would a steak and then pushed Morris off of Hillary. Hillary fell onto the floor and Coulson helped her up. Morris backed away, clutching his stump, but he was grinning when he saw Coulson and Hillary looking at him. Then he straightened up. The stump of his tentacle stopped bleeding and began to stretch and morph, and within seconds he was growing a new one. Hillary couldn’t help being horrified by the sight.

“I bet you weren’t expecting that,” said Morris brightly.

Coulson drew a pistol from his belt and shot Morris in the stomach. The bullets made dents in his paunch but he didn’t bleed.

“Nice try. I’m bullet-proof, too.”

Coulson swore at the top of his lungs and began fighting Morris. Hillary, meanwhile, went to help her friends. Swill was down against the wall and bleeding from his stomach: he’d been stabbed several times. Clay was fighting a Hydra agent, but Hillary watched him get punched in the face and knocked to the floor. Finally the agent had Clay lying on the ground and he continued to beat him. Hillary ran to Clay’s side and kicked the Hydra agent in the face, then commenced beating him with the butt of her assault rifle. 

Marcie Johnson was standing behind the door, firing shots from her pistol while she tried to staunch the bleeding on her wounded arm. When all of the SWAT team that had come upstairs had fallen, one of the Hydra agents went for Marcie, ripping the door of the emergency stairwell off the hinges. He yanked the pistol out of Marcie’s hand and pushed her down the stairs.

“MARCIE!” Hillary screamed. She got up and ran to follow Marcie, but the Hydra agent who had pushed Marcie turned to stop Hillary. They fought for a few seconds, exchanging dramatic punches and swinging kicks. The Hydra agent gave Hillary a kick to the shin followed by a punch in the stomach and she fell over. That shouldn’t have hurt so much, she thought to herself. She tried to stand up but she was sore where she had been struck. The Hydra agent then walked over and tried to kick her in the head. Hillary ducked and rolled to one side. Her assault rifle had been pushed out of her reach so she reached for her pistol. The Hydra agent grabbed her by the arm and threw her against the wall. He turned to pick her up and throw her again, but then Mitch stepped in between him and Hillary and started fighting him. Mitch--his bruises barely healed from the encounter with the rogue stewardess two weeks ago--took several hits to the jaw and the nose, and his face bled like a hose. But Hillary found her second wind and stood up to attack the Hydra agent from the rear, kicking his backside and then punching the back of his head. The Hydra fighter stumbled and fell to one knee, but then he stood up and started to punch them again. That was when Hillary got out her pistol and shot him in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. He was so surprised that when he paused to react Hillary fired two more times in the same shot. The man fell. Hillary went to see if Marcie was all right, but Mitch stayed behind to fight.

Coulson and Morris were still going, Coulson riding on Morris’ back to choke him and Morris trying to yank him off with one and a half tentacles. One of the three Hydra agents still in play stood up and pulled Coulson off from Morris’ back. Coulson yelled and landed on the floor, rolling until he was on his back. Morris laughed and ran for the emergency stairwell. Mitch raised his pistol and moved to block Morris. 

“Stand aside, boy!” Morris said, and he swung his good tentacle at Mitch. Mitch fell to the ground, unconscious. Morris ran down the stairs. Hillary picked up Marcie and stood her up in the corner of the stairwell, bracing for Morris to attack them, but Morris only continued to laugh and went on his way.

Coulson, meanwhile, was still on his back. Parsons was fighting with the two remaining Hydra agents. Coulson cursed quietly and stood up slowly, and he shot one of the Hydra mooks in the head. He helped Parsons to fight the other one.

“Obviously these guys are all enhanced,” Coulson commented when the last one had been felled. He and Parsons were both sweating and panting. 

“So that was Morris,” said Parsons. Parsons cussed. “Officer Brent, did you apprehend Morris? Officer Brent, come in!” There was static on the radio. They heard noises of screaming and gunshots from downstairs. 

“Chief Officer Brent, I copy. Morris has escaped. There was a vehicle waiting for him outside.”

“Well, get a team to pursue the (expletive) and bring him in!”

“Right away, sir!”

Coulson radioed the head of the SWAT team. The fighting had stopped downstairs for the moment. Most of Hydra was either dead or wounded. The combined   
police and SWAT teams had also suffered heavy casualties. The SWAT team said it had been a bloodbath.

Coulson and Parsons got a radio message from Kearns at the police station. “Sounds like a hell of a fight. Permission to call for emergency services, sir?”

“No, don’t!” said Coulson. “There may still be more of Hydra in the building. Outside surveillance, I need eyes on upstairs, do you copy?” 

“Tell the SWAT medics to move in and start treating people on sight,” said Parsons.

“There’s not enough medics to treat both Hydra and our guys, sir,” said the SWAT chief.

“Then call for reinforcements with another medical team. Kearns, Mikkelson, you heard me.” Parsons looked around the room. “Clay and Swill and Sorensen are all down. Where’s Tanner?”

“I’m in the stairway,” said Hillary. “I’m here with Johnson. She’s hurt, but she’s all right.” She was sitting on the landing with her arm around Marcie. Marice was starting to moan and whimper in pain. “Easy there, Marcie.” A group of SWAT personnel came up from downstairs to collect the wounded. Two of them grabbed Marcie by her arms and legs and carried her down. Hillary decided to follow the rest of the group upstairs to check on the others.

“GET BACK!” Coulson shouted, almost screeching. He walked back into the emergency door and slammed it shut. Hillary heard gunfire as the SWAT team squeezed the door open again and then closed it behind them. Hillary felt bullets ringing against the metal door. Then there was silence. Hillary waited for a moment and caught her breath. Then she opened the door just a crack. And she heard a voice she had never wanted to hear again.

“Phil Coulson. How good to see you again,” said Jamie Sneld, her voice as warm as honey. “I hear you’re the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now.”

“Save your breath, Sneld,” said Coulson. He was panting. Hillary reached for her ammo belt and reloaded her pistol. Then she burst through the emergency door and held out the gun, pointing it directly at Jamie’s heart.


	12. Jedi Legacy

Jamie was genuinely startled by Hillary’s appearance, taking a step back.  
“Hillary?”

Hillary had expected to be addressed as ‘Agent Tanner’ and not as a friend. Jamie was wearing all black, heavy military pants and boots and a short-sleeved t-shirt. Her black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail.

Hillary didn’t know how to respond to her. Parsons and Coulson were both being held by their arms by another group of Hydra agents in black--why Hydra still liked to wear black in Mesa’s ridiculous summer heat Hillary could not fathom.

Jamie stared at Hillary, opening and closing her mouth without saying anything. “Well, I’m certainly surprised to see you. How have you been?”

“I’m doing fine, for the moment,” said Hillary, fully aware that she could pull the trigger whenever she pleased.

“Just ‘fine’, Hillary?” asked Jamie. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with a little catching up for old times’ sake. Geez, Hillary.”

“Yes, well I wouldn’t consider you my friend anymore, after what you did to Bucky. You murdered his girlfriend.”

Jamie raised her eyebrows. “Are you really mad about that? Are you gonna kill me?”

“I’ve killed quite a few people today,” said Hillary coldly. “I’d sure like to kill you if I get the chance. But at the very least I’m going to make sure you can never hurt anyone ever again.” Hillary’s hands were shaking. She thought she was used to the weight of the gun but suddenly it started to feel heavy.

“You can’t be serious, Tanner,” said Jamie, shaking her head. Her false warmth had been doused and now she looked just a little bit afraid--at least that’s what Hillary thought. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You killed fifty innocent people in cold blood last week. You threatened my family.”

Jamie scowled. “What, and your dear Bucky gets a free pass for killing thirty two weeks ago in Berlin because someone figured out how to reprogram him? How is that different from what I’m doing or what Hydra is doing or even what you’re doing?”

“I’m doing this to protect the ones I love,” said Hillary. “But you leave Bucky out of this. He still has a chance. But in my book you’re past the point of redemption.”

“I don’t want redemption, Tanner,” said Jamie, spreading her legs and holding her arms out by her waist. “I want to build a better world where none of this is necessary. And that’s all I ever wanted, and Hydra is the only place that’s really going to change the world. Is S.H.I.E.L.D. going to? Are the Avengers? Is your silly church going to do that, either?”

“Now that’s enough!” Coulson yelled from across the room. “Both of you. Hillary, please don’t do this. She’s not worth it.”

“Not worth what?” said Hillary, although she knew perfectly well what Coulson meant. Hillary could kill Jamie, if she wanted to, but she knew that doing that in this angry state would cost her her honor. 

She remembered Grace Porter lying dead on the floor in Albuquerque, and a surge of anger rose up in her. She raised the pistol. Jamie didn’t look like she wanted to strike back. She could raise her hands and conjure an illusion to fight her with in the blink of an eye. A part of Hillary wanted to wait and see how much longer Jamie would wait before attempting to defend herself. 

She didn’t mind killing Jamie. Not really.

“Hillary,” Coulson said to her quietly. “The Bucky you knew--would he have wanted you to do this?”

Hillary glanced at Coulson. Coulson saw straight through her at that moment--all of her anger and hatred, her months of self-pity and sadness and missing Bucky and mourning for him, the stress of the last few weeks of not knowing what he and Steve were up to. Hillary saw through Coulson, too: saw his love and concern for her, saw the worry he carried for all of his agents but for her and Mitch especially, saw the burden that was being the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.. 

Would Bucky have wanted this? Hillary had to ask herself this a few times. Would he have?

No, the Bucky she knew only wanted to be left alone. He didn’t want revenge. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of him. He only wanted to find a place where he could be free and safe and loved. And Hillary wanted that for herself as well. That was why she was here. That was what she was truly fighting for. If she killed Jamie, she could still have all of that, but could she ever enjoy that if she’d gained it at the price of her conscience?

She thought of Mark. She thought of Mitch and Swill and Clay lying on the floor behind her. She thought of Kearns. She thought of her parents. She thought of her sister and her brothers and her little nieces and nephews. She wanted to make them proud. She could kill in combat but not like this--not when she only wanted revenge on a friend who had betrayed her. 

Hillary gave the smallest exhale and she put her pistol away in its holster, turning the safety back on. Jamie watched her, faintly amused but unsure of what Hillary’s next move would be.

“How about this instead?” said Hillary. “Let’s go a few rounds, you and me, just our fists and our feet. Like in the old days. Remember that, Jamie?”

Jamie gave a dry laugh. “Are you going to make the same mistake your little friend the Witch did?”

“Yes, except unlike Wanda, I’m an expert in this sort of technique.” Hillary took a fighting stance. “If I beat you, I take you alive.”

“And what if I beat you?” asked Jamie, folding her arms. 

“Then Hydra can have me--but only if they leave my family alone.”

“All right,” said Jamie. She took a couple of steps back and balled her hands into fists.

Hillary didn’t know what to expect. She let Jamie attack first. Jamie hesitated a moment, waiting to see if Hillary would take the first blow. Then, bending a little on her knees, she inched forward and threw a punch. Hillary dodged it. Then Jamie kicked and hit Hillary square in the stomach: it hurt. Jamie followed up with a couple of punches to the face--Hillary missed one but the other grazed her jaw. Hillary struck out at Jamie, meaning to get her in the face but hitting her arm instead, and then before Hillary could pull her own arm back Jamie grabbed and twisted it. 

Their training fights in S.H.I.E.L.D. school had been nothing compared to this. Even without Jamie using her powers, she was still stronger, faster, and in better shape than Hillary. And she was used to more brutal tactics. She wasn’t above resorting to the cruel female trick of pulling Hillary’s hair. Hillary gave off a high-pitched scream when this happened. Almost as a reflex she sent a punch straight for Jamie’s face and landed between the mouth and the nose. Jamie dropped her.

As they continued fighting, Parsons and Coulson radioed for the SWAT team to bring reinforcements upstairs. A couple of SWAT troopers came up and got them free from their captors. But one of them who tried to pull Jamie and Hillary apart got an illusion of a very realistic giant tarantula on his face. 

Hillary and Jamie were up and down from the floor, back and forth across the room as they fought, hitting and pulling and twisting and even choking each other. At one point, Jamie had Hillary in a headlock. Her arm was very close to Hillary’s mouth. Hillary opened her mouth to bite, but when Jamie could feel Hillary’s breath on her skin she let go. Hillary dropped to the ground and Jamie pounced on her to wrestle. Hillary managed to twist Jamie around and get her neck in between her legs. Jamie pried herself apart and jumped to her feet, and then she gave Hillary a hefty kick in the ribs. Hillary was pretty sure that Jamie broke something. 

“I think the fair part of the fight is over,” said Jamie, standing back from Hillary and giving a faint smile. “Let’s see how you do fighting another old friend.” Jamie held her hands in front of her chest and then pulled them apart slowly, stepping back from Hillary. Hillary watched as a shape appeared from Jamie’s hands, a shape that slowly took the form of a man, a man dressed in all black with a metal arm, filthy shoulder-length hair and a goggled mask. The Winter Soldier.

“NO!” Hillary shouted. She stood up. The phantom that Jamie had created came bearing down on Hillary, punching her and kicking her with as much strength and force as Jamie had used if not more, and on top of the bruises from Jamie these new blows were painful. 

Hillary reached to punch the Winter Soldier in the face. The goggles fell off, fading into nothing. She tried to choke him but ended up removing the mask. 

The Winter Soldier reached for Hillary with his metal arm. She grabbed it and tried to twist it, but it wouldn’t move. It felt real and solid. The right arm hit Hillary across the face. She fell to the ground with her back against the wall. He reached down and picked her up by the throat. And Hillary almost forgot that it wasn’t real.

“Buck...y...no...please…”

The metal fingers were closing around her throat. They felt cold. 

“That’s it!” Coulson shouted from behind Jamie. She was distracted controlling the spectral puppet, getting ready to kill Hillary with it, and she almost didn’t hear Coulson’s yell behind her. But then he picked Jamie up around the middle. She yelled and the illusion disappeared. Hillary crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. 

Jamie twisted herself around in Coulson’s arms and tried to create an illusion of a crab to pinch his face. He brushed it off with his hand and then gave Jamie a heavy hit to the face. Jamie fell to the floor and then Coulson kicked her, rolling her along the ground. She ended up flat on her back, looking up as Coulson, joined by Parsons, pointed his gun at her. 

“Now that’s enough,” said Coulson. “Doug, if you’ll do the honors.”

“On your back, Sneld,” said Parsons. Jamie rolled over compliantly and kept her arms apart. Parsons knelt down and handcuffed her, and then he hoisted her up by the shoulder. Coulson helped Parsons to lift her up and nodded for one of the SWAT troopers to come over. He looked over at Hillary--he saw her bent down with her hands on her lap, the tears streaking her face when she looked up--

“Well, well, that was impressive,” came a voice as three more people appeared on the stairs in the corner. Two of them were dressed in black and carrying long staves. The third, who walked between them, wore fatigues and a t-shirt in slate gray. He was a young man probably about twenty years of age, not tall or buff, and with curly dark blond hair and a small nose. 

“I should like to congratulate you for making it this far, Director, but you cheated to get her down,” said the young man.

“Tuller, about time,” said Jamie, looking at him expectantly.

The young man addressed as Tuller reached the bottom of the stairs. The two men accompanying him stayed on the bottom step. Hillary knew this guy was probably there to cause trouble, but stood up against the wall to watch and wait for his first move.

Tuller looked at Coulson. “I need you to release her. Now.”

“Like we’re going to!” Parsons snapped at him, pointing his pistol at Jamie’s head. 

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Tuller said, an irritated look flashing across his face.

“Where is Erich Kuhler?” asked Coulson. 

“Finally noticed he isn’t here, did you?” said Tuller. Hillary noticed something silver swaying from Tuller’s waist as he moved, a metal cylinder with horizontal grooves and some black buttons. He now rested his right hand on it. 

“Kuhler has gone...how shall I say it, someplace….’cooler’?” He laughed.

Jamie rolled her eyes.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I like bad puns. But Kuhler is elsewhere. So is the rest of Hydra. You may have noticed that there is only a quarter of our numbers stationed here. The rest are scattered across the state, collecting minerals and caching weapons, preparing to carry out the Resurgence around the globe.”

“You’re exaggerating,” said Coulson.

Tuller looked at Coulson. “Really? If you didn’t believe we were a threat, you wouldn’t be here now. You’re in way over your head, Director. The Avengers are gone and you’re trying to cope on your own. Sooner or later, you’ll realize where that’s going to get you. Now, I have asked you civilly and now I shall use--if you’ll pardon the expression--Force.” He sniffed. He removed the cylinder from his side and pressed one of the buttons. A long, red beam came out of it, and it hummed loudly. 

“I’ve always been a big Star Wars fan,” said Tuller, swinging the lightsaber casually. “I built this myself. I found the crystal for it in a eurekaite deposit in Utah--the same one where the legendary Emily Bridger found hers. It’s taken me weeks to assemble it. What do you think?”

Parsons looked nervously at Tuller. Coulson’s expression was hard to read.

Tuller pointed the tip of the lightsaber over at Jamie. “I think you should let her go now.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Coulson, smirking.

“Is that so?” Tuller glanced at the lightsaber blade and hilt. “Well, consider this: in the films, any wound from a lightsaber is immediately cauterized. Do you want to see if that works in real life?” Tuller pivoted and flipped the tip of the laser blade towards Hillary, pointing it at her nose. Hillary gasped and froze. It was inches from her face and she could feel the warmth from it. Looking at the burning red blade seared her eyes. Coulson and Parsons didn’t respond.

“You don’t think this thing is capable of hurting her?” Tuller asked. He moved the tip of the lightsaber away from Hillary’s face. 

“A good thing I brought mine,” said Coulson. Coulson moved away from Jamie and Parsons and reached into the pocket on his pants. He pulled out the hilt to Emily Bridger’s old lightsaber and turned it on. The green shone brightly in the shadowy room, but not as bright as the red.

Tuller gave Coulson a skeptical look. “Do you actually know how to use that thing?”

Coulson took a few more steps and began to circle Tuller. He held out the green lightsaber at an angle, ready to swing it. “Do you know how to use yours?”

Everyone else in the room who could walk moved away. Tuller walked into the center of the room and Coulson brought down his lightsaber. The green struck the red with a hiss. 

As it turned out, Coulson did know how to use the lightsaber. A little. Emily must have shown him a few tips. He could swing it around his head and cut at Tuller and make it look easy. Hillary wondered if he’d had any practice since Emily had left. Tuller was a little more awkward with his, his moves less controlled. But he was determined, Hillary had to give him credit for that. Tuller attempted to move himself around the room towards Jamie and Parsons, but Coulson pushed forward and got him to step a few feet back to calculate his next move.

“You’ve had some training, I see,” said Tuller. “And from an expert. I used to wonder if the stories about Emily Bridger were true, or if was just another geek like me who built her own lightsaber.” Tuller and Coulson paced around the room in a circle. 

“And who trained you, might I ask?”

“I’ve been watching online tutorials now and again,” said Tuller. “And practicing what I’ve learned by sparring with friends. But you know, nothing beats learning from an expert. I’d love to study with a real Jedi--or with someone who knew one.” Tuller stopped pacing.

“If that was your invitation for me to join the Dark Side, then the answer is no,” said Coulson. He stopped pacing as well and bent his knees a little, watching for the moment to strike.

Tuller had his back to Hillary. Across from her, she saw Parsons guarding Jamie Sneld. Parsons nodded for Hillary to join them. Hillary began to run around the edge of the room towards them. Tuller caught sight of her and moved towards her with the red lightsaber blade raised to strike. Coulson nearly jumped to block him before he could reach Hillary. Tuller held up his lightsaber to get Coulson off and Coulson parried, releasing Tuller. They exchanged a few blows but then backed away. Tuller kept his eye on Jamie, and Coulson kept his green blade lowered in front of Tuller.

“You are mistaken, Director. Hydra isn’t the Dark Side. There is no Dark side or Light on this planet. But even if there was, I wouldn’t ask you to join mel” Tuller and Coulson parried their blades, and then Tuller backed away. “You’ve disappointed me, sir. And the more I get to know you the less I want to be acquainted with you.”

“Me too!” Coulson sprang forward, slicing the lightsaber downward in front of him to meet Tuller’s. 

Hillary continued moving across the room to join Parsons, taking a few steps at a time whenever Tuller had his back to her. 

From what Hillary could see, their fighting style was less like the Prequels and more like the original trilogy or ‘The Force Awakens.’ Coulson’s moves were a little more elaborate but Tuller was fast and vicious, and there wasn’t much room for fancy flourishes in between blocks. Tuller and Coulson were both sweating. 

“Dark side or no,” Coulson said when he took a step back after a few long of fighting, “you’re a Sith fanboy.”

“What? And red isn’t just a cool color?” said Tuller. He sliced his saber at Coulson. “Besides, I’m not a pansy like Kylo Ren.” 

“We’ll see about that!” Coulson attacked. Hillary didn’t see what happened next. Tuller’s blade suddenly turned off and then the green one struck him on the side. Tuller yelled and recoiled away, bent over double.

Coulson turned his blade off. “Are you all right?”

Tuller clutched his side. “Yeah, I’m all right. Hit my power switch on accident. I’ll live. But seeing how I won’t be able to kill you myself--” Tuller stood up straight. He looked over his shoulder at the two Hydra agents waiting on the stairs and nodded. They stepped down and held out their staves--they hit some kind of a switch, and the ends of the staves lit up with purple sparks. Coulson switched on his lightsaber and started to fight them, the powered ends of the staves striking the laser. 

Tuller crossed the room to Parsons, Hillary, and Jamie. Coulson realized what was happening and tried to follow, but the men with the staves blocked him.   
Agent Parsons was waiting for Tuller. He had his pistol loaded and ready and he kept his gun up while attempting to head towards the stairs with Jamie. Hillary took Jamie by her other arm to lead her along, but Jamie wasn’t having any of it. Jamie finally shook Hillary off of her arm and reached for Tuller as he approached them. Hillary jumped in between Tuller and Jamie and started trading punches with him. Tuller was smaller and lighter than Hillary and obviously a lot more used to fighting hand-to-hand than with a lightsaber. But he elbowed Hillary in the front and then turned around and gave her a hard punch to the stomach. That was right when Jamie conjured a giant scorpion that crawled down her arm to Parsons. Hillary heard him yell when he was stung. Jamie punched him in the side of the face and he let go of her, shaking off the scorpion before it disappeared. Hillary was about to get up and help him fight Tuller, but then Tuller pulled out his lightsaber and turned it on again. Hillary and Jamie both stayed back. Tuller sliced the red blade dramatically through the air--

Parsons gave a terrible scream and crumpled to the ground, clutching his side. Hillary screamed and ran to his side. 

Tuller walked backward towards Jamie, holding up his lightsaber and smirking at Hillary. 

Coulson had felled one of the men with electric staves. He had kicked the second and was waiting for him to come back when he heard Parsons. 

“DOUG!” Coulson shouted. He ran towards Tuller, raising his own lightsaber, but the other man with the electrostaff bounded between them. Tuller and Sneld both turned and dashed down the emergency staircase. The guy with the electrostaff followed them, turning off the staff and pulling out a long-barreled pistol. 

He shot Coulson, hitting him once in the bulletproof vest. Coulson fell back, wincing from the pain. Hillary got up to follow them but the man with the staff pointed the pistol at her and she held back. It was over.


	13. The Ledger of Death

Coulson ordered the remaining SWAT troopers upstairs to follow after the three escapees. He went to Parsons’ side with Hillary. 

“Doug--Doug--can you hear me?” he said, grasping for Parsons’ hand. It was shaking. 

“Boss,” Parsons said, drawing quick, rattling breaths.

“Where did he get you?”

“In the side, in the side,” Parsons said hastily. His eyes were losing focus.

Coulson looked at Hillary. Hillary made a radio call. “All clear upstairs. We need medics as soon as we can spare them.”

“Don’t...d-don’t both--bother,” Parsons mumbled.

“Doug, don’t do this to me,” said Coulson. 

“Don’t bring me back,” said Parsons. “Don’t let them bring me back. I want...stay dead.”

“You’re not going to die, Doug,” said Coulson. “Just hold on a moment longer, the medical team will be here shortly.”

A team of three SWAT medics came up the main staircase at that moment. Coulson and Hillary backed away so they could get to Parsons. Just then the SWAT troopers that Coulson had sent out returned. 

“Sir, they’ve escaped,” said their leader. 

“They didn’t!” Coulson gasped.

“I’m afraid it’s so,” the trooper answered. “A getaway car pulled up to the street close to the emergency exit. Sneld and Tuller got in. The Peoria police gave chase for about two blocks but then lost them.”

Coulson paced away, rubbing his forehead. 

Hillary folded her arms. “They’ll live to fight another day.”

Coulson sent the group upstairs to check if there were more Hydra agents on the third floor.

“Director, Tanner, what’s the status on Parsons?” Rebecca Mikkelsen called them over the radio from the Peoria police station.

Hillary glanced over at him. “He’s still being checked out by the medics. He got a cut from Tuller’s lightsaber.” The medics were crouched low over him and speaking quietly.

“How about the rest of the team?” asked Kearns. 

“They’ll be all right, I think,” said Hillary. “Johnson was taken downstairs. She was hit pretty bad.” She walked around the room. Agent Clay had become conscious again and was helping Swill to sit up. “Swill and Clay are all right. Where’s--aha, there you are, Sorensen. Still out like a light.” Hillary went over to the spot where Mitch was lying unconscious. More medics were coming upstairs. Hillary tried for a moment to wake Mitch. He stirred faintly and opened his eyes.

“Mitch, can you hear me?” Hillary asked, bending close to him.

He blinked. “What did I miss?”

“A lightsaber battle. Nothing dramatic.”

A female medic came over. “How’s this one doing?” she asked.

“He’s waking up,” said Hillary. “Don’t treat him too roughly.” Hillary recognized the medic. “Say, weren’t you working on Parsons a minute ago?”

The medic looked up at Hillary sadly. “Parsons isn’t going to make it.”

“Par..sons?” Mitch mumbled.

The medic glanced over her shoulder. Coulson had gone to Parsons’ side. There was a single medic left standing by him, trying to make him comfortable. Coulson had taken off his jacket and had propped up Parsons’ head on it. They were talking quietly.

Hillary went and joined them. Parsons...her old boss...the leader of Arizona’s S.H.I.E.L.D. team...he couldn’t really be dying, could he? He’d always been so tough. 

“The patrol we sent upstairs confirmed that the building is clear of hostiles,” the SWAT commander announced to Coulson via radio. 

“Good,” said Coulson. He was holding Parsons’ hand. 

“Dir...boss…” said Parsons. He was trying to focus his eyes.

“Parsons, I’m here, sir,” Hillary said, kneeling next to him. 

Parsons looked over at Hillary. “Tanner...you let him stay...at your house?”

“Who, Coulson?”

“The Winter...Sold...ier,” he slurred. 

“Oh. Parsons, I thought we’d dropped that,” said Hillary. “That was over a year ago. He’s long gone.”

Parsons gave a weird half-smile. “You...keep your family safe. Keep the team….safe…”

“Sir, lie still, you need to rest,” Hillary said, patting him on the shoulder--was it appropriate to be this familiar with your dying boss? 

“Arizona...S.H.I.E.L.D....look after them for me, Coulson,” said Parsons.

“I’ll do that,” said Coulson. “I swear on my life, Doug. Your team will be all right.”

“Good. Good.” Parsons gave a faint nod. “Coulson...Tanner...Captain America’s gone now...I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a world...w-without him…Stay strong.” 

Parsons’ statement gave Hillary a little bit of a jolt. She’d forgotten that Steve and Bucky were both missing. Would they ever return?

“They’ll be back, Hillary,” said Coulson, seeing the flash of fear in her eyes. “It’s not a problem, Doug. Even if Cap doesn’t come back...he’d want us to protect the world for him, wouldn’t he?” Coulson gave Hillary a fake smile. Hillary managed her best in return.

Parsons clenched Coulson’s hand tighter. He closed his eyes. His breathing was slower now, more peaceful. Maybe he would just nod off to sleep. Or pass out. He didn’t need to die. Not today. 

But then gradually the breaths grew slower and softer, and his hand relaxed its grip on Coulson’s. Then the head lolled to one side. And Doug Parsons was still.

“Oh my gosh. No,” said Hillary.

“Hillary,” said Coulson. 

The medic who was with them marked the time and put away his equipment.

“No,” Hillary said. She wanted to grab the medic and force him to do something. Bring Parsons back.

Coulson walked around to stand behind Hillary and helped her to her feet. The medical team came and placed a shroud over Parsons’ body.

The room was bustling with medics running around and treating the injured and counting off the dead. But in the midst of the hubbub, as Mitch Sorensen sat up he saw Hillary crying on Coulson’s shoulder from across the room. Jonathan Clay and Cory Swill saw them and looked around for Parsons and saw the shroud instead. 

Coulson left Hillary to cry for a moment while he made the announcement over the radio. Marcie Johnson, already in an ambulance leaving the scene, hadn’t taken her radio out yet. She was in too much physical pain to react. At the Peoria police station, Kearns toasted with a cup of coffee in Parsons’ honor and made a note to himself to go out for a beer later. Rebecca was too stunned to move from her seat.

 

Tempe, Arizona

Coulson assumed temporary command of the Arizona S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Over the course of the remaining afternoon and the following day, he and Hillary and Rebecca, with the assistance of the police and the SWAT team, collected the weapons’ cache and other evidence from the Hydra building and transferred it to the state Law Enforcement headquarters and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Tempe office. It would take weeks to go through it. 

Thursday night, Coulson finally found a moment alone in his temporary office to call Maria Hill in D.C. He had several voicemails from her but he hadn’t bothered to listen to any of them. He filled her in on how the attack on Hydra had gone and the aftermath. She expressed regret about Parsons’ death--she had met him a couple of times, back in the day.

“As far as we can tell, Hydra had no other operations going in the greater Phoenix area,” Coulson informed her. “They haven’t made any efforts to retaliate or come back. I told Hillary this morning to go ahead and tell her family it was safe to come back--they should be here tomorrow. So how have you been?” Coulson asked her.

“We’re doing just fine. Still dealing with the fallout from the Avengers’ brawl. The press still calls us up day and night to ask where they are.”

“And have you found them?”

“Well, there’s a lot to explain,” said Maria. “Stark turned up in Japan two Saturdays ago in the quinjet that Cap stole. He was injured. He had with him Cap’s shield and Helmut Zemo bound and gagged--Stark couldn’t have done that himself, but no one asked questions.”

“How was Stark injured?”

“Bruises, cuts, broken ribs. His armor was severely damaged--the arc reactor had been broken so it was no longer functional. But he’s recovering quickly. He   
went back to the Avengers’ base on Monday. He brought Rhodes up with him from New York--he’s out of the hospital. Paralyzed from the waist down. It’s doubtful he’ll ever walk again.”

“That’s too bad,” Coulson said. 

“I think I’ll go up and join them when you get back, sir.”

“Good, you can keep an eye on them for me. How’s Fury doing?”

“He’s been very helpful here, keeping the agents in line. But he’s itching to take off again. He doesn’t like being in one place for too long.”

“Well, tell him thank you for me and that he can go when he pleases. Do you think he’ll go back to the Avengers headquarters?”

“I doubt it. The Avengers...aren’t really much of a team anymore. More than half the staff has quit in protest of the Accords. And Fury’s pretty disappointed with Stark. He and Rogers both handled the situation poorly, he says.”

“I agree,” said Coulson. 

“Well, maybe they could use some female company,” said Maria. “That should straighten them out.”

“Where’s Romanoff?”

“Hard to say--I think she did something during the battle that Stark didn’t approve of. T’challa reported to the authorities that she helped Rogers and Barnes escape.”

“Hm, and they were getting along so well. And Pepper?”

“Has no intention of speaking to Stark until he publicly admits he was in the wrong.”

“Fat chance of that. Even if he wanted to, Ross would find a way to get him in trouble for supporting Cap.”

“Yes, well,” Maria swallowed, “there’s something else you should know. Monday afternoon local time, there was a break-out at the Raft.”

Coulson straightened. “You’re kidding.”

“I know, that prison’s supposed to be impenetrable. It was Rogers. He got in somehow. All of the guards were injured. The Avengers being held prisoners escaped. They’ve all disappeared without a trace. At least for the moment.”

“How is Stark taking this?”

“I don’t know. Apparently he’s refusing to take calls from Secretary Ross at the moment--Ross keeps calling me and trying to badger me into calling Stark for him. But Stark doesn’t want to do anything about the break-out. If you ask me, I don’t think he was very happy about them being there in the first place.”

“It would seem like that, yes,” said Coulson. “So Zemo came back with Stark. Where is he now?”

“Zemo is in the custody of the CIA in Berlin. And get this: they’re keeping him in the security cage where they had Barnes.

Coulson smirked. “Let the punishment fit the crime. Poetic.”

“He pleads guilty to everything. But the UN isn’t going to be putting him on trial. The rest of the world still holds Barnes responsible--along with Cap.”

Coulson sighed. “So the evidence turned up too late to change what happened. Was T’challa informed?”

“I don’t know. He disappeared shortly after the battle in Leipzig. Presumably he’s gone back to Wakanda.”

“Not surprising. His foray into the outside world wasn’t all that pleasant.”

“Right, I don’t think we’ll be hearing from him again.”

But Coulson had a strong feeling that the new king of Wakanda would be pulled back into world events soon enough. “We’ll see,” he told Maria. “So Rogers got the Avengers out of the raft. I assume he’s taken them into hiding.”

“He’d be crazy not to, with a group like that,” said Maria. 

“And any word on what happened to Bucky? As long as there’s Bucky, there’s hope.” 

Maria was silent for a moment, unsure how to respond to Coulson’s comment. “Well...I dunno, boss. No one’s seen anything from him. Either he’s in hiding with the other Avengers or he’s...you mentioned you knew about Stark’s parents, right?”

“Maria, I don’t think--”

“Boss, I know you don’t want to assume the worst--”

“Well, do you think Steve would be up and going again after losing his best friend for the...what is it, the third time now?”

“Do you think he wouldn’t be, with the other Avengers in prison?”

Coulson sighed, exasperated. “Just see if you can find out what happened to him, okay?”

Maria sighed. “Okay. But while we’re on the subject, there’s something you should know,” she added.

“Go ahead.”

“Steve Rogers sent you an email shortly before Leipzig. Did you see it?”

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t.”

“Well, he copied me into the email, anyway,” said Maria. “There is a book that Zemo had--Bucky told him about it. Zemo was using the book to control Bucky--it had a number of Hydra’s secrets written in it, specifically regarding the Winter Soldier, including a series of code words to activate his programming.”  
Coulson muttered a profanity. “So when the Winter Soldier went off in Berlin--”

“That was Zemo, yes. There was a man living in Cleveland named Karpov who used to work for Hydra. He was found dead in his apartment right before the Vienna bombing. And apparently a vault of his old Hydra paraphernalia had been broken into and ransacked.”

Coulson was speechless.

“You still there?”

“Yes, yes, I’m here, Hill,” said Coulson, running a hand through his thinning hair. “Where is the book now?”

“No one knows,” said Hill. “Zemo didn’t have it with him when he came back from Siberia. He hasn’t said anything about it to the CIA. Stark hasn’t mentioned seeing it. I don’t see why T’challa would take it.”

“Well, what if Stark has it?” asked Coulson. 

“Coulson--”

“I’m just saying, it’s a possibility. Maria, I need you to put together a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to go to Siberia. I want you to find that book and destroy it.”

“Sir, that could take some time to arrange.”

“Please, Maria, you know what that book is. Whoever controls the Asset controls the world.”

“Coulson, calm down.”

“Maria, I’m not kidding. I don’t know where Bucky is, but as long as that book is out there, he is in great danger. We have to destroy it before anyone else who knows how to use it gets their hands on it. No one should have that kind of control over a person--over the world, either. You got that?”

“I-I-I’ll see what I can do, sir,” said Maria. “But we don’t know where that base in Siberia is. S.H.I.E.L.D. has access to some of Hydra’s old files, but Hydra didn’t write everything down--particularly about the Asset.”

“Then start looking for it,” said Coulson. “See if Stark would be willing to tell you.” Coulson caught his breath. He was shaking. “I hope I’m not being too pushy on you or anything, Maria--”

“No, it’s fine, sir,” said Maria. “I understand your concern. I’ll get to work on this right away.”

“Yes, I’d appreciate that.” He said his goodbyes to Maria and hung up.

 

Coulson was the only one at the office. Mitch and Hillary had returned to their hotel hours ago. Clay and Rebecca and Kearns had gone home. Swill was still in the hospital but was expected to be released the following day. And Marcie Johnson had announced her intentions to retire from S.H.I.E.L.D.--her injury would prevent her from further field work anyway. 

After his call with Hill was finished, Coulson worked for a few minutes on his report on the Peoria incident. Then he took a moment to savor the silence. He felt--well, he felt good about things, in spite of the bleakness of the circumstances. He didn’t think that Hydra was going to be back in the area for a while. They had quite a few wounds to lick, S.H.I.E.L.D. and its allies had made sure of that. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team was crushed by Parsons’ death, as was Coulson, but they kept on working. They didn’t let it hold them down. You get back up and you fight back, Hillary had said yesterday morning. They all intended to do just that.

Coulson decided to start logging off of his computer for the night when he heard a light tapping on the window. He felt his insides jump and he turned around to the window behind him and pulled up the blinds. There was Hedwig, sitting on the sill. Her round golden eyes looked up at him expectantly. 

He didn’t need a better sign that things were going to be all right.

As it turned out, however, that particular window didn’t get opened very much, and he had to wiggle the lock to get it to move. Hedwig hopped back along the sill and hooted at him.

“I know, I know, sheesh,” Coulson chided her. It hit him right then just how much he had missed her. He got the lock open and slid the window as wide as it could go. Hedwig jumped onto his arm immediately, but he let out a grunt of pain when she did because he had his sleeves rolled up. Even at nighttime, it was still very warm outside. The heat during the daytime was unbearable. He was surprised to see there Hedwig at all. Coulson shut the window, and Hedwig jumped onto his desk, her wings sending papers floating onto the floor. She hooted at him loudly.

“It’s good to see you, too,” he said. “You hungry, girl? I don’t have any owl food, I’’m a-”

He noticed that Hedwig was holding her leg out to him. There was a tiny curl of paper around it, tied with a thin black string.

“Oh.” Coulson took a pair of scissors from the drawer and cut the string as close as he could. Then he pulled the paper from off her leg. It was a single line, written in a thin, spidery handwriting:

Only one more is needed. And then the ledger is balanced.~ D.

Coulson looked at Hedwig. Hedwig had met the author of this note earlier that day, in the cool of the deep canyons where the sun never reaches. They were acquainted, of course. And the author was no stranger to Coulson, either.


	14. From Now Until the End

Death doesn’t discriminate  
Between the sinners  
And the saints  
It takes and it takes and it takes  
And we keep living anyway  
We rise and we fall  
And we break  
And we make our mistakes  
And if there’s a reason I’m still alive  
When everyone who loves me has died  
I’m willing to wait for it  
I’m willing to wait for it  
~Hamilton

Hillary entered Coulson’s office the next afternoon and closed the door behind her. Hedwig was perched on an old chair behind the desk, set up with newspaper and bowls of food and water. The air conditioning was also on full blast. 

“Have a seat,” said Coulson, indicating the chair across the desk from him.

Hillary pulled up the chair. “I just got a phone call from my mom and dad. They’ve made it home safely. And Mark came back with them, too.”

“What about your siblings?”

“Mike and Susan made it home this morning. Greg and Julia and Kate got back last night. Marie and Jon are on their way.”

“So will you be going home tonight, then?” 

“Yes. As soon as we’re done here I’ll go check out of the hotel. I appreciate you letting me stay with you, you know.”

Coulson nodded. “You’re welcome.” He sighed, looking at Hillary with his hands folded in front of him on the desk. “So how are you...feeling about things?”

Hillary gave a small shrug. “I guess we’ve done what we can, for now, about Hydra. We’ll have evidence to go through and report filing to keep us busy until they show up again. And maybe by the time they come back we’ll be more prepared.”

Coulson gave her a look.

“What?”

“You seem tired,” said Coulson.

“Well, I just haven’t...slept well, I guess, since Wednesday. I wasn’t sleeping well before then, either. But...you know that awkward moment when your grandmother outlives your old boss?”

Coulson smirked. “Can’t say I’ve had that happen. I’ve known a lot of people, though, who had potential to work higher-up, but then got cut down in their prime. Doug Parsons...well, not that I didn’t love him enough to promote him, but he seemed perfectly happy where he was at. He joined S.H.I.E.L.D. only a couple of years after I did. And I got to work with him on a number of occasions, before Fury decided to send him out here. Turned out to be one of the few people I could trust after Hydra came out.”

Hillary nodded. “Parsons...well, he knew I needed a leg up after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. He was happy to help me out. And working for him, in a way, prepared me to work for you. I was honored to know him...our disagreement over Bucky notwithstanding.”

“I’m glad you don’t fault him over that,” said Coulson warmly. 

Hillary grinned. But then her smile faded. “I guess...I’ve been meaning to thank you, sir, for keeping me from killing Jamie. That wouldn’t have been the right way to do that….and I don’t...I don’t…”

“You don’t think you’re the one who has the right to kill her, even though she murdered your best friend’s girlfriend.”

“I guess,” Hillary shrugged. “It still seems wrong, considering how long we’d known each other.”

“But she wasn’t the Jamie you knew anymore, even though she pretended otherwise. Hydra changed her.”

Hillary nodded. “I’ve changed, too.”

“Well, yes,” said Coulson. “But, you’ve also learned to be true to yourself, in spite of the changes. So you know, Hillary, I am proud of you. Tell me, how do you feel about continuing to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.? You’ve been a great asset to have in every position you’ve worked in, not least of all as my assistant. But it hasn’t been easy for you--it hasn’t been easy for anyone who stuck on after the thing two years ago. But you’ve had a particularly rough time.”

“Boss, I didn’t say I was quitting.”

“It’s been on your mind, though,” Coulson told her. “And after what you’ve been through, no one would ever blame you. And plus, you’re getting married in...have you and Mark picked out a date yet?”

Hillary sighed. “He said we’d work on that this week. But we’re thinking sometime before the end of this summer. We don’t want to wait.”

“Yes, I see,” said Coulson. “And I doubt you two want to wait that long to start a family.”

“Well...we’re thinking right now, see how things are after the first few months, see if we can handle more.”

“Right, exactly. So all things considered, it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to continue to work for S.H.I.E.L.D..” Coulson paused. There was more he wanted to say. 

“But,” was all he could manage, and he left it hanging.

“But what?” said Hillary.

“If you did decide to continue working for S.H.I.E.L.D., there would be a position open for you. I will have to go back to D.C. sooner or later, but I won’t be asking you to head back with me and Mitch.”

“Do you want me to work with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team here?”

“I want you to do more than that,” said Coulson. “You see, with Parsons’ death, there’s a vacancy for the position of office director. I want someone who’s already been working with S.H.I.E.L.D. here in Arizona, someone who knows the local law enforcement--someone who knows the people. And someone who knows about the situation with Hydra. Whoever I leave in charge here is going to have to deal with that. But Marcie, as you know, is quitting. I have asked everyone else on the team if they would be interested in taking the position. But nobody wants the job. Kearns is willing to stay on as assistant director but he doesn’t want to be in charge, even though he’s been here longer than the rest of you.”

“Wait,” said Hillary, her mouth hanging open, “you’re not seriously thinking of appointing me--”

“I am only asking you to consider it, Hillary. I didn’t say you had to. And you have every right to say no. It’s a serious time commitment, and you could be away from your family a lot more than you’d like.”

“Well, duh! But why do you think--after all I’ve been through--that I’d want to take this job? Why would my answer be any different from Swill or Kearns or Clay or Rebecca? Tell me that.”

“Well, aside from an enormous pay raise to go with the promotion,” Coulson said, “I think this is a position in which you could do a lot of good. You’re a leader. You’ve got what it takes to get the job done, and you’re determined to protect your home and your family at all costs.”

Hillary wasn’t quite sure how Coulson thought any of that was true.

“I know you haven’t worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. here in Tempe as long as the other guys have--you haven’t worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. period as long as any of them. Clay and Mikkelson both joined the year before you did. But unlike them, you’re not a transfer from somewhere else. You are an Arizona native. This is your home. I’ve taken you all over the world, but I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re here. Most of your family lives here, and your soon-to-be fiancee has decided to settle in the area. You want to make the world a better place for them. Your future is here. You understand that. That is the most important part of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s work: not all of us are going to settle down and raise a family, but we want to protect the world for those who do. You understand what we’re fighting for, and I need someone like that to leave in charge here. Also, there’s the fact that I trust you more than anyone else that I know who is currently working for S.H.I.E.L.D. But most importantly, I believe in you, Hillary.” He looked her square in the eyes. “I really do.”

Hillary shrugged. “Gee, boss, that’s really flattering.”

“I meant every word of it.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay with just Mitch helping you out?”

“Mitch is hardly an issue.” Coulson leaned back in his chair. “He’s done really well for himself since joining S.H.I.E.L.D., especially without any formal training. I think he’ll do fine.”

“You know, boss, you always said that Mitch and I were the reason you kept from going crazy.”

Coulson laughed. “Well, becoming the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. has had its growing pains. You two have helped tremendously--and I thank you for that. You’ve also taught Mitch everything you know--”

“I had help in that.”

“Fair enough, but he’s still got a lot to learn. I still have a lot to learn, too, but I won’t be needing as much help anymore. Mitch and I can manage. Don’t worry about us.”

Hillary smirked. “You know I will anyway.”

“But, with Johnson gone and you taking Parsons’ place--if you choose to accept it--that will leave you with a vacancy to fill. I hope you’ve learned by now the importance of having people you can trust on your team. Building the team is half the battle. Keeping them together is the other half. You’ve had practice on both ends, right?”

“I have indeed, sir. But what if I don’t accept the position? Who would you get to take Parsons’ place?”

Coulson leaned back. “Shoot. I haven’t the foggiest.” He glanced across the room at Hedwig. She was gazing at him. “But anyway,” he said, returning his attention to Hillary. “I can give you some time to decide. There’s no pressure to choose one way or the other.”

“I understand, sir,” said Hillary, looking down at her lap. “It’s just...I don’t think I can do this anymore. Working for S.H.I.E.L.D. has just been hard on me. I don’t mind being away from my family...but...the trauma...friends and coworkers dying left and right. I thought I could do it for a living. I thought, at the outset, that it wouldn’t be so bad. And it wasn’t, until Hydra came out.” She sighed. “I’m really tempted to just tell you no. Mark has a good job, and he can support us when we get married. We don’t need two incomes.”

“But you’re holding back. Why?”

Hillary laughed quietly. “Because all those nice things you said about me...they’re true. I would like to be in a position where I could make a bigger difference. But I shouldn’t do that, at the expense of family and...myself, you know.” 

Coulson leaned forward on his desk. “Hillary, you are far wiser and stronger than a lot of agents twice your age. Would you consider, then, if you don’t want to be the office director, at least leading it temporarily until you get married--or until I find a replacement?”

Hillary sighed. “I don’t know. I think about it.”

“Good. Give it a lot of thought. Feel free to talk to Mark about it, too. See what he thinks.”

“Okay, I will do that.” Hillary started to back out of her chair. Coulson rose to his feet as well. “Do I have a deadline for making this decision?”

“Within the next week, at least,” said Coulson. “If you need more time, let me know.”

“I will.”

Coulson came from around his desk and shook hands with her.

“Thanks again, Coulson, for everything. I guess no matter how this ends up, I will always appreciate having worked with you.”

“You too--come here.” He pulled Hillary into a hug. And he said to her quietly, “So you know, I love you. I couldn’t be prouder if you were my own daughter.”

“How many times did you say that to Emily?”

Coulson smiled quietly. He had told her. More than once. “Not enough,” he said to Hillary.

 

After Hillary left the office, Coulson was alone with Hedwig. He didn’t feel particularly like working on anything. Hedwig flew over to the arm of his chair and he stroked her back feathers. He’d missed her, a lot.

He heard the noise of people moving around the office suite outside. Hedwig perked her head up, but Coulson didn’t think it was anything unusual. But then came the knock on the door.

“Come in,” said Coulson. Hedwig was watching the door like a guard dog.

The door opened. “Director. How good to see you,” the man said breathlessly. The man was tall with a pouchy face and curly gray hair. In spite of the warm climate he wore a long beige coat and a brown scarf. In one hand he carried an umbrella and a narrow device that Coulson had seen once before--a sonic screwdriver.

Coulson sat up straight in his chair while trying not to jump out of it. “What are you doing here?”

“I have come to see you on a very urgent matter,” said the Doctor, closing the door softly behind him. 

Hedwig hopped onto the desk and walked across it to the Doctor as he sat in the chair facing Coulson. The Doctor turned to greet her. “Hello there, Hedwig. Good to see you.” He raised a finger to stroke her face but then she bit it. The Doctor recoiled, swearing. “Ungrateful.”

“An urgent matter, you say?” said Coulson. “Who sent you here, the Loremaster?”

“A higher authority than the Loremaster, as a matter of fact,” said the Doctor, rubbing his finger. Hedwig hooted at him. “Of course I don’t blame you, Hedwig--but, anyway, they said that the urgent matter is your own.”

Coulson gave the Doctor a disappointed look. “You’ve come two days too late, then. Our big fight with Hydra was on Wednesday.”

“Tell me about Hydra,” the Doctor said calmly.

“So Hydra came back about two weeks ago. There was a double bombing here in Mesa. Then they had a massive prison bust so they could staff their ‘resurgence,’ as they’re calling it. Then they threatened--you remember Agent Tanner, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“They threatened to kill Agent Tanner’s family--we sent them away for their own safety. We finally got a lead on their hideout this week and stormed the place on Wednesday. Massive casualties on our side, including Agent Parsons, the local director.”

“I say. And most of Hydra escaped?”

“We recaptured or killed most of the people at their building. But their ringleaders escaped. They’re scattering across the state, building new bases and getting ready to build weapons. We haven’t found any leads on them yet.”

The Doctor looked at him grimly. “So how are you hoping to combat the situation?”

“I’ve asked Hillary Tanner if she would be willing to take the position of office director. She said she’d think about it. But...that’s as far as I’ve gotten, I’m afraid,” said Coulson, shrugging sadly. “Hydra has us outnumbered and outgunned. The SWAT team took a wallop helping us out the other day, and local law enforcement is reluctant to risk more of their people trying to stop Hydra. Do you have a solution?”

The Doctor looked at Coulson.

“Well, do you?”

“Well, perhaps we can solve two problems at once,” said the Doctor quietly.

“What do you mean?”

The Doctor stood up and began pacing around the tiny office. “It is not my place to give you all of the details, but recent events have not been very kind to our friend Mr. Barnes--the one you call Bucky.”

Coulson raised an eyebrow. “Is there something I don’t know about?”

“You know about the book, don’t you?”

“The one Zemo used to control him, yes.” Coulson stood up. “Do you know where it is?”

“I do not,” said the Doctor quiet . “And it is not within my jurisdiction to find it and destroy it for you--any more than the Eagles of Middle-earth could not carry Frodo to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. But as long as the book is out there, Barnes is in great danger--terrible danger. And he knows it.

“The young king of Wakanda, as it turns out, followed Tony Stark to Siberia when he went after Barnes and Rogers. He only wanted vengeance for his father’s death but there he discovered he was quite mistaken in doing so. T’challa nobly offered to take Rogers and his friend with him to Wakanda. T’challa swore he would do everything in his power to rid Bucky’s mind of Hydra’s programming--” The Doctor broke off, turned around, and looked at Coulson. “But the best solution that the Wakandan doctors could offer was to return him to cryostasis until a more permanent solution was found.”

Coulson was silent for a moment. The Doctor said nothing in return.

“What?” Coulson said.

“You heard me. He’s back under now.”

Coulson swore. Hedwig screeched and the Doctor covered his ears.

“Director, please, this is no time for such language.”

“I should (swearword) well say it is!” said Coulson. He came out from behind his desk. “But...Hillary...but...Steve...they didn’t go through all of this...just so Bucky…” Coulson rubbed his face.

“Director, I am sorry,” said the Doctor sternly, looking down at Coulson. “The choice was his own. He wanted to be free from his pain. And it is a Fixed Point in Time, so it cannot be undone.”

Coulson swore again. 

“Director, please listen to me. Calm down.” The Doctor grabbed Coulson by the shoulders. “Take a few deep breaths. Right now. Inhale.” Coulson breathed as the Doctor directed. After taking several breaths he felt calmer but he was still angry. 

“Now, I’m not finished talking. Barnes going back under is a Fixed Point in Time--but we can work around it,” the Doctor said, putting emphasis on the last seven words. “I will go back in time to when T’challa makes his offer to take Steve and Bucky into exile, and give them an out. If Bucky knows what kind of danger his adopted family is in, he’ll want to stay awake to at least make sure they’re all right.”

“What? Are you going to bring him here?” asked Coulson, stepping back from the Doctor.

“Yes--him and Steve and whoever else wishes to join them.”

Then it hit Coulson: the escape from the Raft. “OH.”

“Yes. The people I am working for do not wish Barnes to have to go under again. There are things...things he still needs to accomplish. Things he might not be able to do after he comes out again. The least I can do is give him some time to be with his family and hopefully find himself. And why not put him to use?”

“Well, Hillary told me that Bucky wasn’t interested in fighting Hydra.”

“Not without motivation, he isn’t,” said the Doctor. “He’ll want to be in on this. So will Rogers.”

“I get it. Who else will be coming with them, do you know?”

“Hm, I dunno,” the Doctor shrugged. “I suppose you’ll find out shortly.”

“But won’t they be in more danger, coming here instead of going into hiding someplace safer, where Ross won’t arrest them?”

“Coulson, you know very well that Ross is the least of anyone’s worries in this,” said the Doctor, leaning against the desk with his arms folded.

“Well, I don’t know if you’re aware, Doctor, but it won’t be easy to hide them here in Mesa. Other people won’t like them. It might make the Tanners or S.H.I.E.L.D. a bigger target, or it could make things harder. And we can’t throw superheroes at all of our problems and expect them to be solved.”

“Yes, but your S.H.I.E.L.D. team here is outmanned and outgunned, you said so yourself,” said the Doctor. He swore. “Coulson, here is your chance to stand up to Hydra. By all means, you should take it!” The Doctor took a breath--he was getting a little excited himself. 

Hedwig walked around the desktop and looked up at him with her eyes squinted. “If they take the right precautions, they should be able to stay hidden enough that they can do their work for S.H.I.E.L.D. in secret. They won’t be able to stay here forever, but if they’re careful, they can stay long enough to help Agent Tanner eliminate Hydra.”

Or at least long enough for Hillary’s wedding, whenever that is, Coulson thought to himself. “All right, Doctor. Is there a catch?”

“Yes. That lightsaber of yours.”

“Emily’s?” Coulson had it sitting on the desk, and he picked it up.

“Yes, the very same. You may have to share it.”

“With who?”

“I was told that you would find that out for yourself, Director.”

“You know, being all cryptic isn’t very helpful,” said Coulson.

“It’s not my job to give the answers,” said the Doctor. “Between you and me, visiting this dimension is a bit of a hassle. And I’ve been here a lot more recently since regenerating than I’d planned on. But, anyway, that’s the general idea--you get to borrow the Avengers to fight Hydra, and you get to see Barnes live a happy life. Everyone wins.”

Coulson furrowed his brow. “I dunno, Doc. Are you sure about this?”

“Are you serious about Hillary being able to keep her family safe from Hydra?”

“Of course.”

“Then we can do this. We SHOULD do this.” The Doctor checked the clock on the wall. “We should be able to pull this off without damaging any major storylines. I can time it so the Avengers make it here this afternoon. Where is Agent Tanner?”

“I sent her home for the day. She’s going to check out of her hotel, first, though. She left about twenty minutes ago.”

“Then in about another half an hour, you will be getting a very urgent text from Hillary. Do not give her any indication before then that we have talked--or after that. The Avengers will tell her about my assistance to them, but I only ask that you say as little to them or to her as possible. And whatever you do,” the Doctor added gravely, “don’t tell her about Bucky going back on cryo. That would break her heart.”

They were both silent for a moment and looked at each other. Coulson gave a nod. “I understand.”

“This all makes sense to you, then.”

Coulson supposed time would iron out the details. “Well, you did what you could. I appreciate this, Doctor.”

“It was good to see you again, Director,” said the Doctor, shaking hands with Coulson. “Now you just sit tight: I’m going to go back in time so that the story can move forward.” The Doctor let himself through the door without looking back.


End file.
